Through research this document will examine how Scandinavians have affected the economy and culture of Washington. Exploration will explain why Scandinavian immigrants sought out life in the Northwest, particularly Washington. This paper will take in hand integration of the Scandinavian culture into the existing one. Research will show how the government and especially the railroad worked to endorse the influx of Scandinavian immigrants. They did this by using newspapers, promoters, and even return passage. Furthermore, this essay will look into some of the issues deriving from the loss of culture and language even though it was minimal and how it affected the success of integration. This essay will look into Scandinavian culture, letters from Scandinavian immigrants from around the Pacific Northwest. This paper will touch on Skiing, Fishing, Crabbing, and Dancing. Finally it will address how even immigrants arriving in Washington the late 1950’s have had an effect on the culture of Washington today.
The principal groups of immigrants into Washington State during the time period of 1895 to 1910 were Scandinavian immigrants, which includes Swedish, Danish and Norwegian people. Washington State by 1910 had greater numbers of immigrants than any other state of the union during 1910. At this time Washington had more immigrants than any other state; fifty percent of the state at that time was Scandinavian immigrants. The Scandinavians that came to Washington wanted to become Americanized. They worked hard at combining the best of their culture with the new culture. This also made the transition and culture shock that many emigrants experience was very minimal. (Dahlie, 1980)
Washington from 1895 to 1910 had received more S...
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...thers have been because it in the immigrants own words. The weakness is also that it is in their own words so the opinions may be biased. One can learn through these letters of the events that helped shaped the culture and economy of the PNW.
Forssblad, M. (2001, August 15). HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=3476
This essay discusses the influx of Norwegian immigrants as well as their role is skiing logging boating and fishing. This resource is based on the archives in the Nordic Heritage Museum. The weakness with this resource is that it is just a short easy although it strength is it covers many aspects of how Norwegians helped develop Seattle.
A review of his methodology shows the time and energy that entering this book. He uses a variety of sources for his research and evidence of good sources such as newspapers; memoirs; diaries; census figures; real estate listings; private letters and documents; journals and memoirs; public records and statements; the federal and local
Mark Wyman, the author of the brief essay known as Coming and Going: Round-Trip to America, had a different perspective about immigration to America from the various counties during the 1880’s through the 1930’s. A common belief, regarding the immigration to America, held that immigrates stayed in America during the massive shift of population, due to the enormous creation of factories and cities that erupted in America. The past day literature entices readers to believe that all immigrates came to America to work and eventually settled down to create their own families. It’s taught that all of these families stayed in America for their entire life span. Although despite the common belief, Wyman held to his own thoughts on the controversial debate and pioneered a new way of thinking. He believed that countless immigrates, which came from all over the world, actually only
In 1855, miners discovered Gold in the Colville mines of northeastern Washington Territory. Newspapers such as the Oregonian began running daily advertisements to attract miners into the region. Exciting articles with bold titles of “Colville Gold Mines” exclaimed that, “with a common pan we made $6, $8, $10, and as high as $20 per man!” This news created an influx of white settlement to Washington. Territorial Governor, Isaac I. Stevens encouraged the settlement and proposed to consolidate fourteen tribes w...
McElderry, Stuart. “Vanport Conspiracy and Social Relations in Portland, 1940-1950.” Oregon Historical Quarterly. Vol 99, No.2 (Summer 1998), pp. 134-163
Eibling, Harold H., et al., eds. History of Our United States. 2nd edition. River Forest, Ill: Laidlaw Brothers, 1968.
In a lively account filled that is with personal accounts and the voices of people that were in the past left out of the historical armament, Ronald Takaki proffers us a new perspective of America’s envisioned past. Mr. Takaki confronts and disputes the Anglo-centric historical point of view. This dispute and confrontation is started in the within the seventeenth-century arrival of the colonists from England as witnessed by the Powhatan Indians of Virginia and the Wamapanoag Indians from the Massachusetts area. From there, Mr. Takaki turns our attention to several different cultures and how they had been affected by North America. The English colonists had brought the African people with force to the Atlantic coasts of America. The Irish women that sought to facilitate their need to work in factory settings and maids for our towns. The Chinese who migrated with ideas of a golden mountain and the Japanese who came and labored in the cane fields of Hawaii and on the farms of California. The Jewish people that fled from shtetls of Russia and created new urban communities here. The Latinos who crossed the border had come in search of the mythic and fabulous life El Norte.
The key points of the readings was to address the hardships of the immigrants, immigration trends. In Harvest of Empire the author talked about the difficult times and why his family had left Puerto Rico in the first place. The author also divided the struggles amongst generations the first generation had difficulty because of their rapid expansion. The second generation had trouble because of the remaining prejudices from the previous generation. Another key point that was brought up in Harvest of Empire was the immigration waves and the varying difficulties that each wave faced. For example the immigration trends with Cubans. The first immigration group of Cubans moving into Miami was widely successful helping to build up some of the major profitable companies in the Miami area. This group had little difficulty assimilating into the United States mainly because of their lighter complexion. In addition the second generation had darker complexions making it more difficult to assimilate. The major difficulty for both groups was trying to gain access to America. The second wave had greater difficul...
Walens, Susann. A. United States History Since 1877. Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT. September 2007.
As the hostility toward immigrants had begun to relax, the residency period was reduced to two years by 1824. More reforms were made over several decades, and by 1870 new legislation gave persons of African descent, Asians and other non-white groups access to citizenship. As the country matured and became more multiracial, additional legislation would be passed to prevent “protected groups” from discrimination and exclusion. Present day, the United States is still a country of immigrants and continues to expand its laws to be inclusive of all its citizens and residents. All participants who contributed to the diversity of this county helped to create the vibrant economy and democracy that we know
Moving from the unpleasant life in the old country to America is a glorious moment for an immigrant family that is highlighted and told by many personal accounts over the course of history. Many people write about the long boat ride, seeing The Statue of Liberty and the “golden” lined streets of New York City and how it brought them hope and comfort that they too could be successful in American and make it their home. Few authors tend to highlight the social and political developments that they encountered in the new world and how it affected people’s identity and the community that they lived in. Authors from the literature that we read in class highlight these developments in the world around them, more particularly the struggles of assimilating
Though Washington’s coastal towns offered much to its citizens, it was the logging industry that started it all. In this paper, I will discuss the growth of the logging industry, specifically in relation to Seattle, and the resulting extension industries in the development of what is now our nations largest port city.
Succeeding the traditional Norwegian migration patterns my Great Grandfather traveled from Norway to America. He arrived in New York then journeyed to Minnesota. My Great Grandfather stayed in Minnesota for the remaining of his life. As a young boy my Grandfather, Christian Olaf Johnson migrated from Minnesota to Karvel Colorado in the early 1900’s during the homestead era, and became a first generation homesteader. After living in Colorado for approximately 30 years, the Dust Bowl hit and due to the harsh effects that the drought had on their living conditions such as starvation my Grandfather made the decision to migrate to California, which is where my family is settled to this day.
It has been observed that, from history American has served as a destination for most immigrants in the world the world (Williams 16).
Immigration is a very important part of the history of the United States and continues to be today. Immigrants during the 1900’s had many hardships to face and sometimes the “golden land” was not so golden. Many immigrants had very high hopes about what their lives could have been like here in the U.S., and unfortunately only very few got to experience that great life. Although each of the readings had their differences, the theme of hardship seemed to prevail throughout.
Steltzer, Ulli, “The New Americans: Immigrant Life in Southern California.” Kiniry and Rose 346-347. Print.