Best chances of finding out details? If you know your original Danish family name before you begin your search, the chances of finding out detailed information are much better than if you only have vague information. Like many other immigrants, many Danes Americanized their names upon arrival or later. E.g. Jensen became Johnson.

Danish heritage and immigration history links

The Danish Immigrant Museum is located in Elk Horn, Iowa. It has a large online collection of inspiring articles and thorough information about Danish immigration to the United States as well as useful information about how to research your Danish ancestry. The Danish Immigrant Museum shares the legacy and continuing influence of Danish culture as realized in the experiences and contributions of Danish immigrants, their descendents and Danes living in America. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II is the museum's protector. Extensive collections of artifacts, as well as special temporary and traveling exhibits, are on display at the museum.

The Danish State Archives provides a number of services on the Internet that makes it possible to search for your ancestors online. The website also contains information about Danish names, old Danish handwriting and a dictionary of common Danish genealogy terms. The reading room is open to the public.

The Danish Emigration Archives in Aalborg holds a large collection of private letters, manuscripts, diaries, biographies, newspaper clippings, photographs, portraits, etc. You can search the archives' online Emigration lists compiled by the Copenhagen Police from 1869 to 1940. These lists give the name, last residence, age, year of emigration and first destination of the emigrant from Denmark. The records are made available for the years 1869 to 1908 (394,000 emigrants). 

MyDanishRoots.com presents Danish immigration history with interesting articles and news stories as well as useful information for Danish genealogy research such as an extensive glossary, an article about the meaning of names and more.

At the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle you can learn more about Danish and Scandinavian immigrants. The Dream of America is the story of immigration told in an exhibit of life-like dioramas. The Heritage Rooms display treasured and useful items the immigrants brought with them. The third floor exhibitions illustrate the differences and the common bonds among the Scandinavian people. The museum also offers Nordic cooking and language classes.

The Danish American Heritage Society explores and records the history of Danish immigrants to North America. It publishes a historical journal, The Bridge, and a newsletter. The Danish American Heritage Society also serves to promote fellowship among those with an interest in events relating to Danish-American and Danish-Canadian life, culture, and history.

Ellis Island Passenger List. From 1892 to 1924, more than 22 million immigrants, passengers, and crew members came through Ellis Island and the Port of New York. The ship companies that transported these passengers kept detailed passenger lists, called "ship manifests." These manifests have been transcribed into a vast electronic archive, which you can easily navigate in search of an individual passenger. 

Family Search - Family History Library Catalog is provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Search the large, international catalog of materials (including microfilm, microfiche, and publications) found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Find more links at the Danish Immigrant Museum's linkguide.