Dale Goodman is a Vesterheim volunteer, previous trustee, and Slooper descendant. He presents the Slooper story from its beginning in the Napoleonic Wars, through the voyage itself, and finally to the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in Kendall, New York.
In the period beginning in 1825 and for about 100 years following, nearly 40% of the population of Norway – more than 800,000 Norwegians – immigrated to the United States. Most of those immigrants came for “economic opportunity,” but the first immigrants – known as the Sloopers of 1825 – came for religious freedom. The voyage was three years in the planning by an alliance of Quakers and Haugean Lutherans. This presentation follows the story from its roots (in the Napoleonic Wars), through the voyage itself, the reception in New York City, and finally to the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in Kendall, New York.
Make a day of it in Decorah at Vesterheim! Visit the museum in the morning with free admission for Free Second Saturday, enjoy this live presentation with Dale Goodman at 11:00 a.m., choose a delicious lunch from a wide variety of great local restaurants, and take a guided tour of Vesterheim’s Heritage park at 1:30 p.m.!
Free Second Saturday is supported in part by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from Bill and Kathi Wild and The Depot Outlet.
