Restaurasjonen

We are still in Stavanger attending the extended family gathering of my wife Torgunn. In addition to meeting lots of wonderful and friendly people, it's been an interesting journey through Norwegian history.

This is the Restauration, a sloop built in 1801 in Hardanger, Norway. It became a symbol of Norwegian American immigration. Historical sources may contain several variations on the name of the sloop, including Restauration, Restoration, Restaurasjonen, and Restorasjon.

On what is considered the first organized emigration from Norway to the United States, Restauration set sail from Stavanger on July 5, 1825, with 52 people aboard, many of them Norwegian Quakers. Probably many of this group belonged to a similar local movement, the Haugeans, a Lutheran sect which derived its name from Hans Nielsen Hauge.

The group, led by Cleng Peerson, landed in New York City on October 9, 1825 after a three-month voyage. For a vessel of her size the Restauration had far more passengers on board than were allowed by American law. This resulted in a severe fine, confiscation of the ship and the arrest of the captain, Captain L. O. Helland. The situation was solved when President John Quincy Adams pardoned the captain on the 15th of November released him and the ship and rescinded the fine. The people who made this voyage, who are sometimes referred to as the "Sloopers," moved onward to their first settlement in Kendall, Orleans County, New York.