Norse-American Bicentennial
200 years ago in 1825, a small wooden sloop set sail from Stavanger, Norway, on a voyage that would quietly alter the course of history. The ship, known as Restaurationen, was only about 54 feet long, hardly larger than a modern fishing boat. On board were 52 men, women, and children who had chosen to leave their homeland behind in search of religious freedom, economic opportunity, and a new life across the Atlantic. Their journey marked the first organized emigration of Norwegians to America.
The voyage was long and difficult. Departing on July 4, 1825, Restaurationen braved storms and cramped conditions for nearly three months before arriving in New York Harbor on October 9. The passengers were met with curiosity and even suspicion. Because the vessel carried more people than allowed by US shipping regulations, the captain was briefly arrested and the ship fined. Still, their determination to start fresh in America outweighed these early hurdles.
This group of pioneers became known as the “Sloopers,” after their humble vessel. They first settled in upstate New York, in the Kendall area near Lake Ontario, before moving to an area of Illinois known as the Fox River Settlement (now known as Norway, IL). There they farmed the land and began building new communities. They left behind Norway’s rigid social structures and religious restrictions, seeking the freedom to live, worship, and work as they chose.
The story of Restaurationen soon spread back to Norway, inspiring many others to follow. By the mid-19th century, waves of Norwegian immigrants were settling in the Midwest, drawn to farmland in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas. These immigrants carried with them not only skills and traditions, but also a sense of endurance that would shape both their adopted communities and the cultural fabric of America.
While the numbers aboard Restaurationen were small, their symbolic impact was immense. They embodied the courage and uncertainty of migration, the gamble of leaving everything familiar behind for the chance at a better life. Their success proved that such a crossing was possible and that opportunities existed in the new world for those willing to take the risk.
Two centuries later, their story still resonates. The voyage of Restaurationen reminds us of the universal themes of migration—hope, hardship, resilience, and renewal. For Norwegian Americans today, it stands as the starting point of a journey that led from a tiny sloop on the Atlantic to a vibrant, enduring community woven deeply into the American story.
The 1925 Norse-American Centennial Stamps
In 1925, the US Post Office honored the 100th anniversary of Restaurationen’s voyage with two striking commemorative stamps. The 2¢ red issue pictured the little sloop itself, sails billowing as it crossed the Atlantic with 52 determined passengers aboard. It symbolized the modest but historic beginning of organized Norwegian immigration to America.
The companion 5¢ blue issue depicted a Viking ship, linking the pioneer emigrants to the deeper saga of Norse exploration. By featuring this image, the stamp paid tribute not only to the adventurous spirit of the 1825 “Sloopers,” but also to legendary figures like Leif Ericson, the Norse explorer often credited with reaching North America nearly a thousand years earlier. The design itself is based on an 1893 photograph from the Columbian World’s Fair. The Viking ship was built in Norway and sailed across the Atlantic and through the Great Lakes to Chicago for the fair.
Together, the designs balanced the story of real families who braved the ocean in 1825 with the broader heritage of discovery that tied Norway to the New World.
Check out our selection of stamps from Norway here.
More Stamps Picturing Ships
