Living the dream

Gold miner

© Inc-Photo/Getty Images
Norwegian settlers, ca 1895

© NTB Scanpix
Norwegian footprints in modern-day America

© Ellen Glimstad
“Uffda” – brought to America by Norwegian immigrants

© Ellen Glimstad

Living the dream

Before you read

Two of the pictures above show immigrants to the USA. What was their life like? What were they hoping for? Write down some ideas before you read “Living the dream”.

Living the dream

Some call the USA an unfinished country, because it’s being built and then rebuilt as new people from all over the world come and make their mark. In the past most immigrants came from Europe, including many from Scandinavia. Now they mostly come from South America, Asia and Africa.

Did you know that about a third of the Norwegian population emigrated to the USA between 1825 and 1925? Most were economic migrants who were hoping for a better life. Just imagine you’re a farm worker somewhere in Norway. Sometimes there’s no work. Sometimes you and your family go hungry. You can’t see things getting any better. In fact, you don’t have much of a future to look forward to. One day you hear that you can get land, your own land, at no cost in the USA. Wouldn’t you be tempted to leave Norway?

The promise of free land was not just a dream. The American Homestead Acts were laws that said that adult immigrants to the northern states could have 160 acres of land to farm. This applied to both men and women, but they had to be the head of a household and over the age of 21. They also had to promise to build a home and live on the land for at least five years.

The population in Norway was growing fast, and life in Norway was really hard for thousands of farmers and ordinary workers. So many saved up or borrowed money to pay for the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Norwegian immigrants who did well wrote home saying how good life was in the USA and encouraged family and friends to follow in their footsteps. Slowly they built their own communities in the USA where they spoke Norwegian, and started their own businesses, churches and schools. They worked hard and gradually became integrated into American society. You can find out more about this in Learning for life in Mini movies.

But what about the immigrants who were not a success? You don’t hear much about them in the history books, do you? There were many immigrants whose hopes and dreams did not come true. Haakon was one of them – listen to his story.

I haven’t always been like this, you know. I was young and strong once. Had plenty of money, plenty of girls, pockets full of gold. It was real gold, too! You don’t believe me? I used to be a gold miner in Alaska! I know, it’s a long way from Brooklyn. It’s a long story.

When did I first come to America? Oh, a long, long time ago. Worked as a lumberjack first. Near Seattle. My uncle back in Norway had lent me money for the ticket and I had to work real hard to pay him back. The food was good, but I got fed up of the work, it was the same day in, day out. I wanted some adventure – I was in the land of opportunity, right! Then one day I heard they needed men in a new gold mine in Alaska in a place called Cripple Creek. And me and a couple of other guys from Norway decided to head up there.

I can tell you something – mining is damn hard work! But when you found gold, oh boy, it was worth it! The boss didn’t like us speaking Norwegian, mind. “English only! You’re in America now!” Once I heard him muttering, “Norwegians, Germans, what’s the difference?” and that Germany was causing a lot of trouble, with the war in Europe and all. So we stuck to English when he was around.

After a few years, I was doing OK, saved up a little money, even. But then I got my arm trapped in a rock fall. The other guys pulled me out, there was blood everywhere. Broke my arm, my shoulder. You name it, I broke it! Whisky was the only medicine we had, it took the edge off the pain. Why didn’t I see a doctor? You must be joking, we couldn’t afford a doctor!

The boss let me go a week later, said he had no use for a man who couldn’t use both arms. One of the guys told me to head for Brooklyn, he knew someone who might give me a job. It took me a while to get there, it’s a long way from Alaska to New York, hitching rides and all. Anyhow, I walked around Brooklyn for weeks and weeks, but I never found the guy. Never found another real job, either. I’ve done this and that. Now I live here under the railway arches. Can’t go home to Norway, not exactly a success story, am I? Now where’s the dollar you promised me?

Haakon

Living the dream

Living the dream

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