Since 1820, 400,000-450,000 Danish people have immigrated to the US, most of them between 1880 and 1920. During this time, about 10% of the entire Danish population emigrated. The emigration started as a trickle with the first significant increase taking place in the late 1860’s. Immigration reached its highest numbers in 1881-90 when 88,000 Danes entered the US. 
 
Compared to the total number of immigrants from Europe – 35 million came to the US from 1840 to 1914 – the Danes make up a small, but important, percentage.

The major reason for Danish emigration was the search for a better standard of living. The promise of free or inexpensive land, better wages, and the possibility to create a better life for themselves and their children made Danes leave Denmark to move to the US.
 
In the early 1880’s, the Danish population increased rapidly, unemployment grew and wages were low. The eldest son inherited the land, and younger children had little hope of owning a farm. Industrialization also made many traditional jobs obsolete. Overall, it was very difficult to earn a living and for young people to earn enough money to start a family.

In the United States, on the other hand, any immigrant could claim 160 acres of unoccupied government land, homestead it, and earn title in five years in accordance with the Homestead Act of 1862. Wages were also higher, making it possible to save up and buy a farm or piece of property or create a business within a foreseeable number of years.

A high rate of immigration is found in the parts of Denmark where the price for land was high and which were dominated by large estate owners. This includes the areas of Lolland-Falster, Langeland and southern Funen. A somewhat high percentage left from the island of Bornholm and North Jutland as well. Central Jutland and North Zealand contributed less to the emigration. In central Jutland, there were opportunities for land as the cultivation of the heath was taking place. In North Zealand, Copenhagen was the attracting magnet. The majority of Danish emigrants came from the capital city of Copenhagen and from the towns, which was not the case in Norway and Sweden.

A small proportion of emigrants left for religious reasons – in particular Mormons and Baptists. The Mormons carried out missionary work in Denmark. They also organized group emigration travel, without any up-front out-of-pocket cost to the individual. Many single women joined the Mormons, and Salt Lake City and Utah is home to many Americans with Danish heritage.

In 1864 almost a fourth of Denmark was lost when Slesvig and Holsten fell to Germany. Afterwards, mandatory German military service and repression of Danish culture caused many Danes to leave the area to create a new life for themselves elsewhere.

Finally, some people had personal, non-financial reasons to emigrate. They left to join a loved one in the new country, due to an unhappy love affair or a family feud, or simply to pursue adventure in the new world.

According to the 2000 census, approximately 1.5 million Americans list Danish as their primary or secondary ancestry. The number of people with Danish ancestry in the United States is therefore about ¼ of the number of people living in Denmark today.

The Danes primarily established themselves in the Midwest. In the 1840's and 50's, they settled down in the forests of Wisconsin and Michigan. The mid 1850's saw the beginning of Danish settlements in Iowa. In the 1880's the Danes made permanent settlements in Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana and South and North Dakota. From 1870 to the 1960’s, cities with a large Danish and Danish-American population include Chicago, Illinois, and Racine, Wisconsin.

Many immigrants and their children later moved further west. Today, the majority of the people with Danish ancestry in the US live in California. Other states with a larger Danish-American population are Utah and Minnesota. The following states make up the fourth tier: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Florida.

The Danes were generally quick to integrate into the American society and assimilated faster than most other groups. While there were Danish towns and enclaves, many settled among members of other ethnic groups. When choosing between an opportunity for a good job or good land on one hand and staying close to other Danes on the other hand, many Danes choose the first option.

In general, Danes also learned the language quickly and were more likely than members of other ethnic groups to marry outside of their national ethnic group. However, most Danes married other Northern Europeans, and today, many of them form part of the Anglo-Germanic, white, protestant population in the US.

Find links to read more about the Danish immigration to the US and start researching your family history.

Sources:

• “The Dream of America”. Edited by Jens and Annette Damm and Stig Thornsohn. Moesgaard, 1986.
• “Danske I USA 1850-2000” (Danes in the United States of America 1850-2000). Written by Torben Grøngaard Jeppesen. Odense Bys Museer, 2005.
• The Danish Immigrant Museum
• “Emigration from Denmark – An Introduction” by Anders Buch-Jepsen. www.MyDanishRoots.com.

Photos:

The Danish Immigrant Museum.