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Title: Danes in the USA, 1850-2000 - a demographic, social and human geographical study of Danish immigrants and their descendants

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2002

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Abstract: In 1997 Odense City Museums, Denmark, presented an exhibition entitled 'Danes on the Prairie'. The exhibition aroused considerable interest both with the public and the press. A number of books, articles and TV and radio programmes followed in the wake of the exhibition, and in 2000 the present author published 'Dannebrog on the American Prairie'. Fascination with these Danish settlers, with their new country, integration and fortunes of their many descendants was only reinforced with the completion of the book. During the work with this study of a Danish colony, it became clear to the author that there was a need for a complete overview of Danish immigrants to USA and their descendants. In 1971 the historian Kristian Hvidt published his dissertation 'The Flight to America', based on a comprehensive statistical study of Danish emigrants and their geographical, economic and social background. A corresponding study of Danish immigrants to USA would be able to provide a unique understanding of this entire exodus and integration to a new country and would create an understanding of the Danish element in American society.In 2000 a concerted project was outlined with the title 'Danes in the USA, 1850-2000, - a demographic, social and human geographic study of Danish immigrants and their descendants'. The aim of the project is to create a complete overview of these Danish immigrants and the lives and lifestyles of their families and their descendants primarily by means of a systematic examination of the 10 yearly census. Among the questions raised are those of the immigration's chronology, its geographical dispersion or concentration in colonies, age, sex and family structure, progression and integration. Light is thrown on the last of these, for example, by means of a survey of linguistic ability and mixed marriages.At the end of 2000 the Carlsberg Research Foundation agreed to fund the project, which is estimated to take 4 years. Until the middle of 2003 the project is primarily focused on the collection of data from the census. Starting in the summer 2003 these will be analysed and worked on and results will be compared with the history of other immigrant groups. Finally, the last period of the project will be used to work on the final thesis. The analysis and study of the data will take place during a year's research leave, when the author will be affiliated to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The article concludes with a selection of the provisional results of the project's statistical survey. Examples are given of the language abilities of these Danish immigrants, the distribution of men and women, where Utah clearly stands out from other areas, mixed marriages, and finally the degree to which Danes have remained stationary up to the present day in those areas where they first settled in the state of Wisconsin.

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Authors: Jeppesen, Torben G.

Periodical (Full): Fynske Minder

Issue: 0

Volume: 2002

Pages: 29-47

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other, Race and Ethnicity

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