JakeWylie

November19th,2015
Humanities20152016
TheOverlookedImmigrants
WhenyouthinkaboutemigrationtoAmerica,anumberofdifferentethnicgroupsand
timeperiodscometomind.YoullthinkoftheMexicanimmigrantsofthe21stcentury,pushed
byviolenceandpoverty.YoumightthinkaboutChineseimmigrantswhocametotheU.S.inthe
mid1800sinsearchofgold.PerhapsyouwillthinkoftheVietnameserefugeeswhoescapedthe
brutalityoftheVietnamWar.Swedishimmigrants,however,aremorethanlikelyloweronthe
listofimmigrantgroupsyouwouldimmediatelythinkabout.Whyisthis?Especiallywhen
approximatelyfourmillionAmericansclaimedtohaveSwedishancestryinthe2000U.S.
Census1FourmillionAmericanswhoeitheraredescendedfromimmigrantsorimmigrated
themselvesfromSweden.ItwasadifferenttimeoveracenturyandahalfagowhenSwedesfirst
begantomakethejourneyacrosstheAtlantictotheUnitedStates.AtimewhenSwedenwasnt
oneofthemoststableeconomiesintheworld,andtheAmericanMidwesthadntbeenfully
explored.Swedishimmigrationwasatitspeakthroughoutthelatterhalfofthe19thcenturyfora
numberoffactorsincludingreligiousconflicts,politicalandreligiousfreedomforSwedesin
America,andfamineinSweden.
FromthebeginningofSwedishmassmigrationtotheU.S.inthelate1840stotheendof
theAmericanCivilWarin1865,religiousconflictwasoneofthemajorpushfactorsfor

UnitedStatesofAmerica.UnitedStatesCensusBureau.
Ancestry:2000
.ByAngelaBrittinghamandG.Patricia
Cruz.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.Census2000.IssuedJune2004
1

Swedishimmigration.2 TheConventicleAct,alawineffectfrom1726to1858,outlawedall
conventicles,orprivatemeetingsforcommondevotion,specificallyconcerningpietism,outside
oftheSwedishLutheranChurchandfamilyprayer.3Practitionersofpietismandotherreligions
feltbitteraboutthetheLutheranStateChurchsunjustbehaviortowardthem.Thebattlebetween
thelocalworshippersandtheChurchbecamemoredramaticfartherawayfromlargecities,
whereworshippersofotherreligionsweremorelively,yetunderthewatchofthecommunity
churchandlawenforcement.Politicalreformersandintellectualgroupsalsoconflictedwiththe
church,becausetheyoftenspeculatedandformedtheirowndifferentthoughtsaboutliferather
thanaccepttraditionalvalues.Thetreatmentofillegalworshippersoftenledentiregroupsof
peopletoleaveSwedentogetherwiththeintentionsofstartingtheirownreligiouscommunities
innewlands.Thepoortreatmentnonlutheranandprogressivesreceivedledtomanypeople
migratingatthesametimethelargestgroup,infact,leftin1846andwasmadeupofover
1,500followersofapietistsect.4Intruth,however,manyimmigrantsattractedtoAmericas
freedomofreligionbecamedisappointed.Oftenitturnedouttobemoreaquestionoffreedom
fromreligion.5ThereligiousconflictsinSwedenofthemid19thcenturywasamajorpushfactor
inSwedishemigration.
WhilemorereligiousfreedominAmericawasapullfactorforsome,amorenoteworthy
pullfactorforSwedishimmigrationweretheletterswrittenbyimmigrantssenttotheirfaraway

Bonner,Jeremy."ScandinavianAmericans."
DictionaryofAmericanHistory
.Ed.StanleyI.Kutler.3rded.Vol.7.
NewYork:CharlesScribner'sSons,2003.262263.
U.S.HistoryinContext
.Web.5Nov.2015.
3
Lvgren,Nils,AugustEdman,M.Wahlstrm,andC.W.Foss.AChurchHistoryfortheUseofSchoolsand
Colleges
.RockIsland,IL:AugustanaBookConcern,1906.Print.
4
Barton,H.Arnold.
AFolkDivided:HomelandSwedesandSwedishAmericans,18401940
.Carbondale:Southern
IllinoisUP,1994.1516.Print.
5
Carlsson,Sten."TheMassEmigration."
SwedesinNorthAmerica:16381988:Techn.,Cultural,andPolit.
Achievements
.Stockholm:Streiffert,1988.29.Print.
2

families.AsmoreandmoreSwedesemigratedtoAmerica,moreofwhatwouldbecomeknown
asAmericanletterswereshippedbackfromtheUnitedStatestoSweden.Theselettersto
distantfriendsandfamilycamedirectlyfrompositionsoftrustandsharedbackground,carrying
immediatepersuasion.MaryStephensen,an1865Swedishimmigrant,oncesentthefollowingto
herfamily:"WelivebetterthanthepeopleinSwedenandwearenotwantinginspiritualfood.
WhenIcompareconditionsherewiththoseinSweden,wearefortunate.Wehavegoodbread
andwheatflourandasmuchbeefandporkaswedesireforeachmeal.Wehaveallthebutter,
eggsandmilkweneedWehaveanabundanceofvariouskindsofapples.Infact,wehaveso
manythingsthatmakeforcomfortandhappinessthat,whenIcompareSwedenwiththis
country,Ihavenodesiretoreturn."6LetterslikethisonesenttoSwedencouldinsomecases
convinceentireparishestograbwhattheycouldcarry,makethejourneyacrosstheAtlantic,and
reassembleintheMidwest.7
AnothermajorpushfactorforSwedishemigrationwashowpoorlytheSwedish
governmenthandledcrisisreliefeffortsfollowingtheGreatFamineof18671868.TheGreat
Faminenotonlyleftmorethan4millionSwedeshungry,butalsoinastateofdistrustand
discontentwiththewayauthoritieshandledthereliefeffort.Duringthefamine,localcity
councilswereresponsiblefordistributingenforcedtheprincipleofhelpinexchangeforwork
whilethephysicallydisabledandelderlyweregivenexception,insomecasestheoneswho
neededmostwereleftwithnothing.Ratherthanhavethemreceiveflour,authoritiesforcedthose
whowouldnotworktoeatBarkbread,thoughthisbreadcausedchestpainsandsometimes
vomiting.Inaddition,itwaswidelybelievedthatthefaminewascausedbyunjustdistribution.
"AmericanLetters."
IowaPathways
.StateHistoricalSocietyofIowa,n.d.Web.16Nov.2015.
Barton,H.Arnold.
AFolkDivided:HomelandSwedesandSwedishAmericans,18401940
.Carbondale:Southern
IllinoisUP,1994.17.Print.
6
7

1867,intruth,provedtobeasuccessfulyearfortheSwedishCerealexport,howevermostofthe
harvestwenttouseforGreatBritainshorsedrawnbusesinsteadofthebelliesofhungry
Swedes.Forthesereasons,thegovernmentspoorreliefeffortduringatimeofcrisisleftSwedes
untrustingofSwedishauthority,andwasasignificantpushfactor.8
ThepoliticalfreedomofAmericawasanotablepullfactorforSwedes.Bythethird
quarterofthe1800s,muchoftheemphasisforimmigrationhadshiftedfromreligiousto
politicalandeconomicfactors.9ManyofSwedensliberalcitizenspraisedtheideaofAmerican
Republicanismandcivilrights.SwedeswereamongthebesteducatedpeasantsinEurope,and
thushadaccesstotheprogressive,democraticideasthatwerefermentedallacrossEuropewhich
reachedaclimaxin1848whentheSpringofNationsbegan.10Duringthistime,democratic
revolutions,andsometimesrebellions,sprangupalloverEurope,aimingtoremovethe
centuriesoldfeudalregimesandcreateindependentnationalstates.InMarch,aseriesofsmall
riotstookplaceinStockholm,Swedenscapital,butwereviolentlydisbandedbythemilitary.
Aftertheseriots,however,allattemptsatrevolutionended,buttheconflictbetweenSwedish
liberalismandtheauthoritarian,monarchistgovernmentdidntend.Theearlierrevolutionsand
anunchangingauthoritarianregimeraisedSwedishpoliticalawareness,manyofwhomlonged
fortheUnitedStatestofulfilltheirrepublicandreams.Forthesereasons,American
RepublicanismwasoneofthecontributingpullfactorsforSwedishemigration.
Incrediblepopulationgrowthandrepeatedcropfailuresandfaminewasanothermajor
pushfactorforSwedishimmigrants.Asofthemid19thcentury,Swedenspopulationhad

Heron,Olle,CarlThorell,andHansVillius.
EttSatansr:Norrland1867
.SwedishRadio.Stockholm,1978.
Radio.
9

Bonner,Jeremy."ScandinavianAmericans."
DictionaryofAmericanHistory
.Ed.StanleyI.Kutler.3rded.Vol.7.
NewYork:CharlesScribner'sSons,2003.262263.
U.S.HistoryinContext
.Web.5Nov.2015.
10
Cipolla,CarloM.
LiteracyandDevelopmentintheWest
.Harmondsworth:Penguin,1969.115.Print.
8

steadilyrisenoverthepastfewdecadessincebettermedicinehadbeenmadeavailabletothe
public,andithadbeenawhilesinceSwedenhadbeeninvolvedinamajorarmedconflict.11 As
thepopulationgrew,fewerandfewerjobswereavailabletoSwedes,whowerepredominantly
farmers.ThismadeitincreasinglydifficultfortheaverageSwedishcitizentomakealivingfrom
thesmallplotsoflandmorethan75%ofthepopulationofSwedendependedon.Inaddition,
cropfailuresplaguedSwedenthroughoutthe1800s.Thingswereespeciallyunforgivingand
bleakinthecoldandstonyprovinceofSmland,whichwouldbecometheheartlandofSwedish
emigration.Foragriculturalists,thingswereneverworsethantheybecamefrom1867to1869
whentheseasonsbroughtconsecutivecropfailures.12BecauseSwedenremainedanearly
entirelyagriculturaleconomyduringthistime,SwedenremainedpoorforyearsafterthisGreat
Deprivation.Forthesereasons,populationgrowthandrepeatedcropfailuresbecameoneofthe
primarypushfactorsforemigratingSwedes.
OneoftheprimarypullfactorsforSwedishimmigrationwastheopportunityfor
agriculturalistsintheUnitedStates.GustafUnonius,thefatherofSwedishmassmigration,once
describedthattheAmericanMidwestmorecloselythananyothercountryintheworld
approachestheidealwhichnatureseemstohaveintendedforthehappinessandcomfortof
humanity.13 "ThewideopenlandintheheartoftheMidwestwasample,healthy,andownedby
thegovernment.Beginningin1841,prairielandwassoldfor$1.25anacre,($29anacrein
2015),followingthePreemptionActof1841,14 whichlaterhaditsrequirementsliberalizedby

Granquist,MarkA."SwedishAmericans."
GaleEncyclopediaofMulticulturalAmerica
.Ed.ThomasRiggs.3rd
ed.Vol.4.Detroit:Gale,2014.305318.
U.S.HistoryinContext
.Web.5Nov.2015.
12
Barton,H.Arnold.
AFolkDivided:HomelandSwedesandSwedishAmericans,18401940
.Carbondale:Southern
IllinoisUP,1994.37.Print.
13
Barton,H.Arnold.
AFolkDivided:HomelandSwedesandSwedishAmericans,18401940
.Carbondale:Southern
IllinoisUP,1994.14.Print.
14

THEPREEMPTIONACTOF1841,27thCongress,Section9,5Stat.453(1841)
11

theHomesteadActin1862.Rich,affordablelanddrewmanypoorandlandlessSwedes,and
drewmoreestablishedagriculturalistsaswell.AmericawasabletogiveSwedesthelivingspace
theylackedinSwedenaswellastheagriculturalopportunitySwedensorelymissed.Americas
cheap,healthylandwasamajorpullfactorforSwedishimmigrants.
WhatwasitlikeforSwedeswhomadethelongandhardjourneytoAmerica?What
hardshipsweretheyfacedwithaftertheysteppedofftheboatsandinhaledtheirfirstbreathof
UnitedStatesair?ThefactthatSwedesexperiencedverylittletonoconflictmightsurprise
some.Infact,SwedesweregenerallywelcomedtoAmericawithopenarmsespeciallyyoung,
unmarriedwomenwhooftenbecamedomesticservantscourteouslyandconsideratelytreated
likemembersofthefamiliestheyworkedfor.15 Whywasitthenthatmanyotherimmigrant
groupshadafarmoretryingtimebeingacceptedintoAmericansocietyeveniftheywere
skilledatfarmingandagriculturallabor?TheChinesehadanexceedinglydifficulttime
becomingpartofAmericansociety,primarilybecausetheywereviewedasthreatstotheracial
purityofAmericathroughoutthe1800s.16Similarly,theMexicans,17theJews,18andmanyother
minoritiesandimmigrantgroupswerealsoviewedasimpure,savagelike,orunassimilable.
Whydidtheseminoritieshavetoworksomuchhardertointegrate?Thiswasinpartbecausethe
SwedishsharedcommonreligiousandsocialbackgroundswithAmericans,aswellandashared

Barton,H.Arnold.
AFolkDivided:HomelandSwedesandSwedishAmericans,18401940
.Carbondale:Southern
IllinoisUP,1994.41.Print.

16
Takaki,RonaldT."Chapter8."
ADifferentMirror:AHistoryofMulticulturalAmerica
.Boston:Little,Brown,
1993.Print.
17
Takaki,RonaldT."Chapter7."
ADifferentMirror:AHistoryofMulticulturalAmerica
.Boston:Little,Brown,
1993.Print.
18
Takaki,RonaldT."Chapter11."
ADifferentMirror:AHistoryofMulticulturalAmerica
.Boston:Little,Brown,
1993.Print.
15

linguisticbase.19However,perhapsalargerreasonfortheacceptanceofSwedesinAmerican
societyexists.Asapredominantlytall,blonde,andwhiteethnicgroup,theaverageSwede
lookedstrikinglysimilartotheaverageAmerican.Itisforthisreasonbecausetheylooked
different.RacialprejudicewasresponsiblefortheSwedeseasilyintegratingintoAmerican
societywhilethedifferentlookingpeoplelikeAsiansandMexicanswereforthelongesttime
castoutfromwhatwasAmerica.
Inconclusion,throughoutthemidtolate19thcentury,Swedenwashometoreligious
conflicts,disagreementbetweenthegovernmentandthepeople,andagriculturalfailures,allof
whichpushednativeSwedesawayfromtheirhomecountry.Atthesametime,proAmerica
messagessenttoSweden,achanceformorepoliticalandreligiousfreedom,andagricultural
opportunityintheAmericanMidwestdrewSwedestomigratetoAmerica.WhileSwedeswere
nottheonlyimmigrantgrouptomaketheperiloustriptoAmericaforachanceatabetterlives,
theywereoneoftheonlygroupswhoactuallyfoundbetterlives.Asotherethnicgroupshadto
enduregenerationsofoppression,racistattacks,andbloodshed,Swedishimmigrantsalreadyhad
thebetterlivestheylefttheirhomelandfor.Itsnofaultofotherimmigrantgroupsthattheyhad
ahardertimeintegratingintoAmericansocietythanSwedesitstimeAmericansocietystopped
seeingimmigrantsbytheshadeoftheirpigmentandtheGod(s)theyputtheirfaithin.

Granquist,MarkA."SwedishAmericans."
GaleEncyclopediaofMulticulturalAmerica
.Ed.ThomasRiggs.3rd
ed.Vol.4.Detroit:Gale,2014.305318.
U.S.HistoryinContext
.Web.5Nov.2015.
19