200 Norwegians is a podcast series by Fredrik Kalstveit featuring 200 stories of Norwegians who have shaped American history over the last two centuries. And where better to begin than with the first ripple in the water that would eventually create a wave?
Cleng Peerson has been called the father of Norwegian emigration. Others have described him as a dreamer, a storyteller, and even a fraud. Regardless of how he is categorized, Peerson remains one of the most enigmatic figures in Norwegian emigration history.
Born in 1782 or 1783—even his birth year is also shrouded in mystery—he grew up in the village of Tysvær outside the city of Haugesund. As a cotter’s son with no land to inherit, he was drawn to the sea, a calling that not only exposed him to foreign languages and cultures but also prepared him for his role as a pathfinder. Peerson would later lead persecuted Quakers from Norway to America.
This first episode dives into the life, myths, and realities of Cleng Peerson, and the so-called Sloopers who fled Norway in a vessel far too small for their grand dreams of crossing the Atlantic and starting anew in America. Along the way, you’ll learn about religious dogmatism in 19th-century Norway, the surprising connection between Napoleon and Norwegian emigration, and how a barrel of sweet wine nearly got the first emigrant sloop blown out of the water.
Hosted by Fredrik Kalstveit, guests in this episode include historian Nils Olav Østrem from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and Kirk Mies from the Slooper Society.
This biweekly podcast is made in conjunction with Vesterheim Museum, and with support from the Norway House Foundation in San Francisco.
Listen to episodes as they are released at the 200 Norwegian podcast website and on these podcast streaming apps:
Check Vesterheim’s blog every two weeks or subscribe on the apps to hear further episodes as we celebrate this anniversary year!
Fredrik Kalstveit is a freelance Norwegian journalist and photographer covering tech, culture, politics, and Norwegian Americans. He is based in San Francisco, California. He has written for many publications, including TV 2 Norway, Aftenposten, Dagens Næringsliv, A-magasinet, and Vesterheim Magazine. He is author of the book Norske cowboyer: En reise gjennom ville vesten (Norwegian cowboys: A journey through the wild west), published in Norwegian.
