Viking Magazine - September 2016 - 22

Among the European nations,
Norway had one of the highest
percentages of population growth. It
was caused by a high birth rate and a
falling death rate. Population grew from
about 880,000 in 1801 to more than
1,818,000 in 1875, more than doubling
in only three-quarters of a century. It was
mainly a rural growth, and contributed
to conditions of impoverishment and
social tension as people descended into
farm households who, in many cases,
had substantial resources. They sought
a better life for themselves and their
children in America. The pre-1850
emigration was thus in many ways a
stage in upward mobility.
The lower social classes, cotters
and agricultural laborers, were better
represented in the emigration of the
1850s. The so-called " America letters, "
encouraging emigration and the
increased use of prepaid tickets sent by
earlier immigrants, motivated people to
leave and broadened the pathway west
to new social groups. The departures
continued into the 1870s.
lower social classes as farm laborers
and cotters. The great demographic
expansion became an explosive wedge
that had to be accommodated, either
by domestic opportunities or by the
more forthright solution of emigration.
Even though some opportunities were
created at home, new jobs fell far short
of the rate required, and large overseas
departures continued.
Changes in Norwegian society were
refl ected in the composition of the
body of emigrants. The early exodus
primarily consisted of landholding
15,000
12,000
9,000
6,000
3,000
1850
YEARS
0 VIKING MONTH 2016 sonsofnorway.com
Number of Norwegian Passengers Disembarking from Sailing Vessels to the Consular District of Québec, 1850-74
1852
1854
1856
During the era of sailing ships, both
Canada and the United States (most
especially the states in the Upper
Midwest), conducted aggressive
campaigns to attract settlers. Canada
most specifi cally tried to attract people
from Norway and Iceland. Agents and
pamphlets in Norwegian represented the
main efforts to convince people to come
to Canada.
In his reports, A.C. Buchanan,
Québec's chief emigration agent,
identifi es Helge Haugan from
Drammen and Christopher Closter
from Stavanger as the two Norwegian
agents. Buchanan describes Haugan as
" a very intelligent Norwegian. " They
were both immigrants to Canada and
sent back to Norway in order to " secure
the immigration of large numbers of
Norwegians. "
LIFE AT SEA
Most of the ships carrying passengers
to Québec departed from the many
seaports along Norway's long coast, but
Christiania (Oslo) and Bergen became
the primary ports for the emigrant
trade. The voyage took six to eight
weeks and sometimes even longer. The
crossing of the bark Laurvig in 1854, as
described by its sea captain, H. CockJensen,
was particularly lengthy and
diffi cult. It left in late July with about
100 people, including the crew of 12.
West of Ireland the ship encountered
a storm that lasted several weeks, " off
and on like a hurricane. " The miserable
circumstances made a contagious
disease break out. Thirteen passengers
died during the voyage of 11 weeks
and three days and were buried at sea.
Few ships had an equally nightmarish
crossings, but all were distressful. Due
mainly to overcrowding, the death
rate on Norwegian sailing ships was
considerably higher than on ships of
other nations.
All ships were obligated to stop for
inspection at the small island of Grosse
Île, a quarantine station in the St.
Lawrence River about 30 miles from
Québec City. If there was no contagious
disease, as determined by the doctor
who came on board to examine the
passengers, the vessel might continue
to the Port of Québec. Grosse Île had a
large receiving hall, hospital and several
doctors, as well as several cemeteries.
LAND
HO!
1858
1860
1862
1864
PASSENGERS
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA

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Viking Magazine - September 2016

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