Norwegians in Minnesota

The People of Minnesota Series

Author Jon Gjerde, Author Carleton C. Qualey, Foreword by Bill Holm

Minnesota Historical Society Press (May 1, 2002)

The images of the Vikings professional football team, the stereotype of the "Norwegian bachelor farmer," and even Minnesotan's speech patterns proclaim the Norwegian heritage of Minnesota. But the Norwegian settlers have contributed much more to the state.

Description

The Norwegians, who first arrived in territorial days, created lasting farming settlements, especially in the Red River Valley. Their Lutheran churches continue to dot the landscape. But their experience was also urban, as they entered the trades and industries of the Twin Cities. Today, the Norwegian influence is evident in Minnesota art, culture, cuisine, and speech. Norwegian culture permeates the state's character and helps define Minnesota's unique social, political, and business environment.

Also of interest:
MNopedia: Norwegian Immigration to Minnesota

Author information

Carlton C. Qualey was a professor at Carleton College, editor of Immigration History Newsletter, and author of Norwegian Settlement in the United States.

Jon A Gjerde is professor of history at University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Minds of the West: Ethnocultural Evolution in the Rural Middle West, 1830-1917.

• This title is also available at your favorite e-book vendor.
• 110 pages
• 6 x 9 inches
• ISBN: 9780873514217