Finding Olof
One crazy trick to find your ancestors’ arriving passenger records.
News from ArkivDigital
The subscription Swedish site has new birth indexes and searchable passenger records.
Going Clubbing
Scandinavian immigrants typically belonged to a village hall or other organization back in the old country, and they brought this tradition to America, too. These new social clubs included the Sons of Norway, the Danish Brotherhood, and the Swedish Vasa Order.
Going to Church in the US
Scandinavian church records in the US can jump-start your research. When they settled in the US, Scandinavian immigrants founded churches and other religious institutions—mostly but not entirely Lutheran….
Typing Scandinavian Letters
How do you type those unfamiliar Scandinavian characters in search boxes online or in your genealogy software? Here’s a quick guide.
Yesterday’s News Can Help Find Your Family
Old newspapers published in America and back in Scandinavia can yield clues about your Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestors. And there’s no need to squint at or scroll microfilm, as more of these sources are going online.
The Rise and Fall of New Sweden
Swedes arrived in America much earlier than you might think. Jealous of the Dutch colonial outposts in America, the Swedish government set out to establish its own New Sweden. It hired Peter Minuit, who had led the founding of New Netherland for the Dutch before being dismissed in an internal dispute, and set up the Swedish West India Company. In March 1638, two ships under Minuit’s command, the Kalmar Nyckeland Fogel Grip, arrived at the site of today’s Wilmington, Delaware, with 50 colonists. They named the settlement Fort Christina, after the young Swedish queen, and Reverend Reorus Porkillus established the first Lutheran congregation in America there.
Scandinavians in the Civil War
The only non-English-speaking Union regiment in the Civil War, the 15th Wisconsin Volunteers, was formed by Scandinavian immigrants. It was organized and commanded by Norwegian Hans Christian Heg from Muskego, and included both Norwegians and Swedes.
Understanding the Alphabets
What’s with those funny letters? All written Scandinavian languages employ extra letters beyond the 26 of our alphabet.