2025 marks the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration to America. 200 Norwegians is a podcast series exploring the lives of 200 different Norwegians who have shaped the United States—for better or worse-over the two last centuries.
Biweekly historical podcast series produced in collaboration with Vesterheim Museum and with the support of Norway House Foundation.
Episodes
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Cleng Peerson Part 1
In this first episode of the podcast series 200 Norwegians, you'll hear the story of Cleng Peerson, the father of Norwegian emigration. Discover his humble beginnings in Tysvær, Norway, and how an unlikely chain of events—spurred by the Napoleonic Wars and an unhappy marriage—set him on the path to becoming a Moses-like figure for a group of persecuted Norwegians. The episode also follows the journey of the "Norwegian Mayflower" across the Atlantic, where a casket of Madeira sweet wine nearly sent them to the bottom of the sea.