200 Norwegians
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration to America. 200 Norwegians is a podcast series exploring the lives of 200 Norwegians who have shaped the United States—for better or worse. This podcast is made in conjunction with Vesterheim Museum, and with support from the Norway House Foundation in San Francisco.
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Episodes
Friday Mar 21, 2025
Friday Mar 21, 2025
In this second episode of 200 Norwegians, you’ll hear how Cleng Peerson’s grand plan failed—and how, in the end, President John Quincy Adams stepped in to rescue the Sloopers after their arrival in America. We’ll explore the brutal early years in Kendall, New York, a place that came to be known as the "Black North." Then, we’ll follow in Peerson’s footsteps as he pushes west in search of a new settlement, culminating in a fateful night under a tree in the Fox River Valley, where he experienced a biblical vision that would seal the destiny of his countrymen.
Thursday Mar 06, 2025
Thursday Mar 06, 2025
In this first episode, you'll hear the story of Cleng Peerson, the father of Norwegian emigration. Discover his humble beginnings, and how an unlikely chain of events—spurred by the Napoleonic Wars and an unhappy marriage—set him on the path to becoming a Moses figure for a group of persecuted Norwegians. The episode also follows the journey of the Norwegian Mayflower across the Atlantic, where a casket of sweet wine nearly sent them to the bottom of the sea.