Historian to Spotlight Untold Stories of Norwegian Immigrant Women
The overlooked stories of Norwegian immigrant women — spanning centuries, continents, and remarkable life experiences — will take center stage on May 14, 11:30 am, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls.
Long before the first organized wave of Norwegian emigration to America in the 19th century, small groups had already begun forging new lives across the Atlantic. As early as the 1600s, 57 Norwegians settled in what was then New Amsterdam, now New York City. Among them were 12 women whose lives reflected both the opportunities and hardships of the colonial world.
These early pioneers were as varied as they were resilient. One woman was granted land for her ability to communicate with an Indigenous tribe, while another saw her Manhattan property confiscated. Historical records also recount a woman banished from the colony for her bold behavior, a slave-owning matriarch who passed enslaved people to her heirs, and a widow who served her community as a midwife.
By the 19th century, Norwegian immigrant women continued to defy expectations and shape their communities in diverse ways. Their ranks included adventurers, writers, missionaries, homesteaders, journalists, politicians, and even a soldier. Some lived unconventional lives — among them a bigamist, a divorcee, and an unwed mother — while others became pillars of their communities as pastors’ wives, landowners, and educators.
One notable story traces back to 1825, when a baby girl born aboard the sloop Restauration would later become a suffragist. Decades later, in 1896, a Norwegian mother and daughter made headlines by walking across America.
Bringing these stories to light is independent scholar Sandra Bestland, who began researching Norwegian history during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work has since uncovered a rich tapestry of women’s experiences often absent from traditional historical narratives.
“I research the lives and loves of Norwegian immigrant women to resurrect them from the dustbin of history,” Bestland said during a 2025 interview with visiting Norwegian journalists in Minneapolis.
Despite their own heritage, the journalists expressed surprise at the breadth and significance of Norwegian emigration stories uncovered through Bestland’s research.
Bestland, a Twin Cities resident, will present a two-part program on titled “Lives & Loves of Norwegian Women Immigrants from Amsterdam to Swaziland” and “Lives & Loves of Norwegian Women Immigrants in the Dutch Colonial Era.”
This program will explore not only the women themselves but also their families, relationships, and social networks, offering a fuller picture of their lives and influence.
Sponsored by Snorre Lodge of the Sons of Norway as part of Nordic Fest activities, the May 14 event at Redeemer Lutheran Church is open to the public.
The first presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by a catered lunch featuring quiche, parsley-buttered potatoes, spinach and strawberry salad, a dinner roll, dessert, and beverages. The second presentation will start at 1 p.m.
Admission is $15 per person, and seating is limited to 50 attendees.
A graduate of Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas, Bestland serves as editor of Agderlag Avisen and is active in several Norwegian heritage organizations, including Lakselaget, Sons of Norway, and Norway House. She is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from 19th century Norwegian leprosy to the role of Norwegian immigrants in New York City and the American Civil War.
Her current research examines how mining has shaped Norway’s history.
Bestland lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, Bill, and their Siamese Manx cat, Kong.