Crossings200 | Honoring 200 Years of Norwegian Emigration to North America
- mpeterson2970
- Jun 22
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Crossings200 is a bicentennial commemoration of the first Norwegian emigrant crossing to America in 1825. On July 4, 2025, a faithful replica of the Restauration set sail from Stavanger, Norway, beginning its symbolic voyage toward New York, where it is scheduled to arrive on October 9, 2025, retracing much of the timing and route of the original voyage.
The original Restauration departed Stavanger on July 4, 1825, sailing through the North Sea and the English Channel before heading into the Atlantic. It followed prevailing winds on its roughly 98-day crossing, weathering storms and delays before eventually reaching New York Harbor on October 9, 1825, where its passengers disembarked to begin new lives in America.
Sailing aboard Amanda af Egersund, with 15 others, for the sendoff and short voyage from Stavanger to the island of Kvitsøy offered me a front-row view of this historic moment.
During the week of July 7, I will be updating this page with stories, reflections, resources, photos, and videos. If you're on Instagram, you can also follow my 'Crossings200' story.
7/3/25 update:
Dee and I have arrived in Stavanger!
It’s a beautiful day here, and we’ve just returned from visiting Vågen, the harbor where Amanda af Egersund is docked and ready for tomorrow’s sendoff. We met the captains of the ship, including Mille the cat! Tomorrow, we’ll join 14 others on board to witness the sendoff celebrations from the boat, and remain onboard to follow the Restauration out and on to Kvitsøy, just over an hour’s sail from Stavanger.
Adding to the energy here, Stavanger is also marking its 900th anniversary this year, with the Crossings200 commemoration woven into the citywide celebrations.
Tonight, we’ll attend an event called Sailaway, featuring speeches, entertainment, and a five-course dinner inspired by the original voyage route.
Needless to say, we are both bursting with excitement. More to come soon!
The Significance of the Restauration Voyage
An Emblem of Hope, Perseverance, and Change
On July 4, 1825, a small wooden sloop called Restauration set sail from Stavanger with 45 passengers and a crew of 7 — and a baby born during the crossing, bringing the total to 53. This fore-and-aft rigged sloop, with a single mast and jib, became legendary for making the first planned direct transatlantic crossing by a Norwegian emigrant group.
They were among the first Norwegians to leave their homeland in search of a better life, enduring a 98-day journey through Atlantic storms before arriving in New York City.
Over the next hundred years, more than 800,000 Norwegians would follow, including my great-great-grandfather in 1861.
Though modest in size, the Restauration left a towering legacy. Often called the “Norwegian Mayflower,” it opened a path that nearly one-third of Norway’s population would eventually take. Only Ireland, proportionally, sent more emigrants to North America.
Among the original passengers were members of Norway’s oldest Quaker congregation, who had discovered their faith during earlier imprisonment aboard English ships and traveled in search of religious freedom and new opportunity.
When the ship arrived in New York, the captain was briefly jailed for exceeding passenger limits. President John Quincy Adams intervened, issuing a handwritten pardon that allowed the passengers to disembark freely. That moment has come to symbolize both the hardships early immigrants faced and the promise they believed America held.
The original Restauration was sold shortly after and sent to the Caribbean, but its story endured. It lives on in novels, plays, textbooks, and family histories, continuing to serve as a cultural bridge between Norway and North America.
Organizations like the Slooper Society of America, in partnership with Norway’s Restauration Friends Association, continue to honor this legacy through connection, celebration, and shared remembrance.
While the 1825 crossing marked the beginning of organized emigration to the United States, Norwegians later settled as far afield as Canada, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Over one million Norwegians have emigrated since 1825, with nearly 900,000 settling in North America.
Crossings200: A Living Commemoration
On July 4, 2025, the replica of the Restauration departed from Stavanger, retracing the symbolic beginning of Norway’s mass emigration to North America.
The celebration included citywide activities, historical tributes, and a ceremonial send-off attended by members of the Norwegian Royal House: King Harald V; Queen Sonja, who also celebrated her 88th birthday that day!; Crown Prince Haakon, heir to the throne; Crown Princess Mette-Marit; Princess Ingrid Alexandra, second in line; and Prince Sverre Magnus.
The program on the send-off day featured:
A ceremony in Stavanger Cathedral
A candle-lighting tribute in Vågen
The formal launch of the Restauration replica
A wave party at Tungenes lighthouse
An evening arrival in Kvitsøy
For those interested, more details are available at restauration.no, including:
Full event schedule (for both the departure from Stavanger and arrival in New York)
Additional resources for anyone wanting to engage more deeply with this shared history
Mass emigration profoundly shaped Norway itself — influencing families, communities, and the nation’s sense of identity. Many emigrants returned home with new skills, ideas, and capital, becoming “nation builders” in both their adopted countries and in Norway. As the Bicentennial commemoration continues, a central goal is to bring conversations about emigration into the public sphere, exploring not only what is remembered, but also what has been neglected or forgotten in Norway’s migration history.
👉 Resource:“The Impact of the Restauration” by Terje M. Hasle Joranger.
From Madison to Stavanger: An Unexpected Reunion
On June 10, an email with the subject line “Dee’s coming to Norway!!” landed in my inbox. At first, I assumed my friend Dee from Wisconsin was planning a future trip and that we might try to meet up somewhere along the way.
That was true, but it turned out to be something more, and much sooner than I expected:
“I’ll be in Stavanger for the Crossings200/Restauration celebration, July 2–7, and am hoping you’ll be able to join me there for part or even all of my visit.”
Dee and I first connected in Madison back in 2015, when I began exploring my Norwegian roots. We bonded through a shared love of music and history, and she guided me with care and curiosity as I pieced together my family’s past. Over the years, she even sent updates whenever she uncovered new details about my ancestor’s journey.
Nearly a decade later, we had the chance to mark that connection in a new way, honoring a voyage that changed so many lives.
Standing at the Edge of Then and Now
What started as a simple email turned into an unexpected chance to be part of something bigger.
The person who helped me begin piecing together my family’s path from Norway to America stood next to me as we watched a new generation launch the replica Restauration.
This moment doesn’t just honor the past. It reflects the ongoing connection so many of us feel to the journeys that came before us. For anyone with roots shaped by migration, it’s a reminder of the ties that endure across time and place.
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