On July 4, 1825, the little sloop Restauration sailed out of the harbor in Stavanger, Norway, on a journey to a new land. Only fifty-four feet long, the modest vessel began a voyage to a new life for the fifty-two souls on board. The ship’s name is Norwegian and means “restoration,” reflecting the hopes of those who dreamed of a new beginning.
Dubbed the “Norwegian Mayflower,” Restauration has become a symbol of the first organized migration from Norway to North America.
Because the vessel was a sloop, the passengers and crew became known as the “Sloopers.” They traveled south to the Madeira Islands to catch the eastern trade winds that would push them across the Atlantic. Led by Lars Geilane, the Sloopers left Norway in search of religious freedom and economic opportunity.
It was a daring, 6,000-mile journey. Not all crossings ended well in those days but the Sloopers believed theirs was blessed. Not only did all on board survive, they arrived on this date in 1825 with one extra passenger: a baby girl born during the voyage.
With 53 on board, the sloop was considered overcrowded under American law and was impounded upon arrival. But the Sloopers found allies among New York’s Quakers, who petitioned President John Quincy Adams. The president pardoned the group and dropped all charges.
The Sloopers continued on to the Fox River Valley in Illinois, where they settled. But many Norwegians were drawn by the promise of land and opportunity farther west.
Several factors kept them moving. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered more land than most Norwegians had ever dreamed of owning. The Dakota Territory had a reputation for fertile soil and ideal farming conditions. By the 1880s, Norwegians were arriving in large numbers. Between 1892 and 1905, nearly half of North Dakota’s immigrants were Scandinavians, almost half of those were Norwegians.
Today, North Dakota remains the state with the highest percentage of people of Norwegian descent. Many towns have Norwegian names. Traditional foods like lefse and lutefisk are still common across the state. And many communities celebrate Norwegian festivals such as Syttende Mai, Norway’s Constitution Day, and the Norwegian Autumn Festival.
This year, those celebrations carry special meaning, as fans of all things Norwegian mark the 200th anniversary of a little sloop and its 53 passengers who left Norway for a new life.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Crossings. “2025 History.” https://crossings.norwegianamerican.com/2025-history/Accessed 8/27/2025.
- NDStudies. “Scandinavians.” https://www.ndstudies.gov/gr4/early-settlement-north-dakota/part-2-great-dakota-boom/section-7-scandinaviansAccessed 8/27/2025.
- World Population Review. Norwegian Population by State. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/norwegian-population-by-stateAccessed 8/27/2025.
- The Norwegian American. “Destination: Norsk Høstfest in Minot, ND.
- https://www.norwegianamerican.com/norsk-hostfest-minot/ Accessed 8/27/2025.
