FamilySearch Celebrates 200 Years of Norwegian Immigration to North America

Photo of the ship Restauration in Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 2025, as part of the Norway Crossings 200 anniversary celebrations.

The ship Restauration leaves Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 2025 headed for New York City to reenact original maiden voyage made on the same date in 1825. It's part of the Norway Crossings 200 anniversary celebrations.

The Norway Crossings 200 experience helps descendants of Norway make ancestral connections

Norwegian immigrants play such a rich part in America’s history. FamilySearch is glad to help celebrate and provide personal discovery opportunities for those with Norwegian ancestry.”

— Stephen Valentine, SVP, FamilySearch International

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FamilySearch celebrates the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to North America (Crossings 200) with a fun, free interactive discovery experience. Crossings 200 commemorates the bicentennial of the first organized Norwegian immigration to America. The FamilySearch experience helps descendants of Norwegian immigrants see if they are related to one of the original Sloopers (passengers on the sloop Restauration) and use FamilySearch’s vast Norwegian genealogical record collections and resources to help discover and retrace their Norwegian family tree. Find and share this announcement in the FamilySearch Newsroom.

NORWAY CROSSINGS 200 OVERVIEW

On 4 July 1825, the ship Restauration departed from Stavanger, Norway, with 52 passengers, Norwegian emigrants known as “Sloopers” because of the sloop style of the vessel. They set sail for America, arriving in New York City on 9 October 1825. Two hundred years later, a replica of the Restauration departed from the same port in Stavanger with much fanfare on the same departure day and month. It is expected to arrive in Lower Manhattan, New York City, on the morning of 9 October 2025. Today, more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans live in the United States. The majority are concentrated in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

DISCOVER YOUR NORWEGIAN ROOTS

FamilySearch’s new Crossings 200 web experience will help visitors:
- Find out more about the Norway Crossings 200.
- Learn about the voyage of the ship Restauration, then and now.
- Receive access to helpful, free resources to explore and discover their Norwegian heritage.

“Norwegian immigrants play such a rich part in America’s history,” said Stephen Valentine, Sr. Vice President of FamilySearch International. “FamilySearch is glad to contribute to the celebration and provide the opportunity for those with Norwegian ancestry to discover and add to their personal family story and history.”

JOIN THE FAMILYSEARCH LIVESTREAM

FamilySearch will broadcast the arrival of the Restauration in New York City on 16 October 2025, at 2:15 p.m. ET, celebrating the sloop and its passengers after their historic transatlantic voyage. The broadcast will be co-hosted by a descendant of an original Slooper, capturing the arrival and associated festivities honoring the legacy of Norwegian family heritage and the enduring spirit of those who crossed oceans to build new lives for themselves and future generations. Watch the livestream.

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RELATED

- Norwegian Immigration: Discover Norwegian American History (FamilySearch Blog)
- Research your Norwegian Genealogy (FamilySearch Blog)
- Popular Norwegian Names and Their Meanings (FamilySearch Blog)
- Traditional Norwegian Foods Your Ancestors May Have Eaten (FamilySearch Blog)

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ABOUT FAMILYSEARCH

FamilySearch International is the world’s largest genealogy organization. We are a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use our records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 125 years. People can access our services and resources online for free at FamilySearch.org or through over 6,500 FamilySearch centers in 129 countries, including the central FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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