American Swedish Historical Museum (Philadelphia, Pa.)

The first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley was New Sweden, a colony founded by Swedish emigrants in 1638. Swedish sovereignty over the colony lasted less than 20 years, although Swedes continued to settle in the area and exerted an influence over its cultural development. Swedish immigration to the United States rose sharply for the period from 1867 and 1914, when difficult economic conditions in Sweden and cheap land in the United States encouraged many to make the journey. Most immigrants chose not to settle in the Philadelphia area, and instead moved farther west to Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, California and Washington--the states which still have the highest numbers of Swedish-American today. Nonetheless, the Philadelphia area remains a locus for Swedish-American culture because it was the site of the first Swedish settlement in the United States. In 1926, Sweden's Crown Prince (Later King Gustav VI Adolf) placed a cornerstone for the American Swedish Historical Museum in southern Philadelphia. Construction was delayed due to the Great Depression, but the museum was dedicated during the tercentenary celebration of the New Sweden colony in 1938 (which was marked by another visit from the Swedish royal family).

Bibliography:

American Swedish Historical Museum. "History of the Museum." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.americanswedish.org/frames.htm

The Swedish Colonial Society. "A Brief History of New Sweden in America." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.colonialswedes.org/history/history.html

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum genealogy collection, 1880-1992, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

"Amandus Johnson (1877-1974) was a prominent figure in the Swedish American community for many decades. He was recognized for his historical research and publications, for his vigorous promotion of national Swedish American celebrations, and for founding and serving as first curator of the American Swedish Historical Museum. He became well known in the Swedish-American community while still a doctoral student. He was well into his seventies before he concluded that the strain of cross-country fund raising travel had finally outweighed the merits of publishing additional volumes of his History of the Swedes in America. This decision marked Johnson's retirement from organizational activity."

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Felsten, Judith. "Register of the Papers of Amandus Johnson." Historical Society of Pennsylvania: MSS 41. September 1982. Accessed March 19, 2012. http://www2.hsp.org/collections/Balch%20manuscript_guide/html/johnson.html

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum Amandus Johnson collection, Bulk, 1929-1965, 1904-1974, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

The first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley was New Sweden, a colony founded by Swedish emigrants in 1638. Swedish sovereignty over the colony lasted less than 20 years, although Swedes continued to settle in the area and exerted an influence over its cultural development. Swedish immigration to the United States rose sharply for the period from 1867 and 1914, when difficult economic conditions in Sweden and cheap land in the United States encouraged many to make the journey. Most immigrants chose not to settle in the Philadelphia area, and instead moved farther west to Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, California and Washington--the states which still have the highest numbers of Swedish-American today. Nonetheless, the Philadelphia area remains a locus for Swedish-American culture because it was the site of the first Swedish settlement in the United States. In 1926, Sweden's Crown Prince (Later King Gustav VI Adolf) placed a cornerstone for the American Swedish Historical Museum in southern Philadelphia. Construction was delayed due to the Great Depression, but the museum was dedicated during the tercentenary celebration of the New Sweden colony in 1938 (which was marked by another visit from the Swedish royal family).

Bibliography:

American Swedish Historical Museum. "History of the Museum." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.americanswedish.org/frames.htm

The Swedish Colonial Society. "A Brief History of New Sweden in America." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.colonialswedes.org/history/history.html

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum scrapbook collection, Bulk, 1920-1960, 1861-1976, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

"[Swedish immigrants] to the United States founded an amazing array of clubs, lodges, benevolent associations, and women's groups for a wide range of cultural, social, educational, and political purposes. These organizations offered collegiality, educational and cultural opportunities, and status. Benevolent societies gave concrete assistance in times of trouble by providing sick benefits and funeral expenses. Because they also offered an alternative for those who objected to the powerful influence of religion and local churches, these organizations frequently drew the hostility of the Swedish clergy, especially when they sponsored "questionable" entertainments, like dances. Nationally, one of the most important of these organizations was the Vasa Order (est. 1898), which had 72,000 members in over 400 lodges by 1928...At their peak in 1910, Swedish American organizations in the United States had at least 100,000 adult members, while there were approximately 365,000 Swedish American church members. The tensions between secular and religious groups broadened over time, however, as elites firmly rejected religious pietism and poorer people found that the societies did not have much to offer them."

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Mead, Rebecca J. "Swedish Migration and Settlement in Marquette County." Northern Michigan University: Recorded in Stone, Voices on the Marquette Iron Range. Accessed March 19, 2012. http://voices.nmu.edu/content.asp?PageName=Swedes

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum relief society records collection, 1853-1957, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

"Fredrika Bremer (1801-1865) was a Swedish author of international renown. Between 1828 and 1858 she published a large number of novels, short stories and travelogues, and in the 1830s her work started to appear in translation in other countries. Britain and the United States became her main markets abroad, and her work influenced many of the Victorian novelists, among them Elizabeth Gaskell and George Eliot. The issue of women's rights was her main concern, and her work had a great impact on Swedish and international suffrage campaigns and feminist ideology. Bremer's works still appear in new editions, in Sweden and to a lesser extent abroad."

Bibliography:

Quoted material from: Årsta Society. "Carina Burman." Accessed March 2, 2012. http://www.fredrikabremer.net/burman.htm

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum Fredrika Bremer collection, Bulk, 1847-1864, 1847-1960, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

"John Ericsson was born July 31, 1803, in Långban, Värmland, Sweden. He had less than a year of formal schooling, receiving most of his education from tutors. At thirteen he became a cadet in the corps of mechanical engineers working on the construction of the Göta Canal. In 1820, Ericsson joined the Swedish army where he made topographical surveys.

"While in his teens Ericsson became interested in "flame engines" (hot air or caloric engines). In 1826, he went to London to promote his flame engine. It was while in England that Ericsson conceived the inventions that were later to give him world renown, including the screw propeller.

"Ericsson's first propeller-driven boat was tried on the Thames with most of the senior British Naval officers aboard. It passed all the paddle-steamers. Notwithstanding, the naval experts refused to believe that a propeller driven boat could be steered. An American, Commodore Robert F. Stockton, thought otherwise and commissioned a small steam ship for use on canals in America. In April 1839 that ship was the first propeller-driven steamer to cross the Atlantic. Later the same year, the US Navy invited Ericsson to America to build ships. Ericsson designed the USS Princeton, the first US naval vessel to be driven by a screw propeller. His propeller-driven steam ships were used for traffic on the Great Lakes long before such ships became important to world trade.

"Ericsson advocated placing warship engines and boilers below the water line where they were protected from shots which could cause the boiler to explode or scald the crew in the steam. In 1854 Ericsson designed a warship similar to the Monitor . He offered the design to Napoleon III but was turned down. During the Civil War, President Lincoln formed a committee to develop an armored ship. Ericsson submitted the design of a Monitor-type vessel. It was accepted and the Monitor was built between October 25, 1861 and January 30, 1862. Ericsson built several Monitor-type vessels that saw service during the balance of the War.

"Ericsson also designed ordnance. Recognizing the need for something more powerful than naval guns, he developed an underwater torpedo and ships called "destroyers," which were a combination of the modern torpedo boat and destroyer. In his later years Ericsson worked almost exclusively on the development of solar engines. However, these were not commercially practical.

"On March 8, 1889, John Ericsson died in his home in New York City. In August 1890, his remains were returned to Sweden in a US naval vessel for honorable burial in his homeland."

Bibliography:

Quoted material from exhibit text, American Swedish Historical Museum. Viewed March 6, 2012.

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum John Ericsson collection, Bulk, 1859-1890, 1838-1938, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

The first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley was New Sweden, a colony founded by Swedish emigrants in 1638. Swedish sovereignty over the colony lasted less than 20 years, although Swedes continued to settle in the area and exerted an influence over its cultural development. Swedish immigration to the United States rose sharply for the period from 1867 and 1914, when difficult economic conditions in Sweden and cheap land in the United States encouraged many to make the journey. Most immigrants chose not to settle in the Philadelphia area, and instead moved farther west to Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, California and Washington--the states which still have the highest numbers of Swedish-American today. Nonetheless, the Philadelphia area remains a locus for Swedish-American culture because it was the site of the first Swedish settlement in the United States. In 1926, Sweden's Crown Prince (Later King Gustav VI Adolf) placed a cornerstone for the American Swedish Historical Museum in southern Philadelphia. Construction was delayed due to the Great Depression, but the museum was dedicated during the tercentenary celebration of the New Sweden colony in 1938 (which was marked by another visit from the Swedish royal family).

Bibliography:

American Swedish Historical Museum. "History of the Museum." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.americanswedish.org/frames.htm

The Swedish Colonial Society. "A Brief History of New Sweden in America." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.colonialswedes.org/history/history.html

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum document and photograph collection, 1702-1981, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

The first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley was New Sweden, a colony founded by Swedish emigrants in 1638. Swedish sovereignty over the colony lasted less than 20 years, although Swedes continued to settle in the area and exerted an influence over its cultural development. Swedish immigration to the United States rose sharply for the period from 1867 and 1914, when difficult economic conditions in Sweden and cheap land in the United States encouraged many to make the journey. Most immigrants chose not to settle in the Philadelphia area, and instead moved farther west to Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, California and Washington--the states which still have the highest numbers of Swedish-American today. Nonetheless, the Philadelphia area remains a locus for Swedish-American culture because it was the site of the first Swedish settlement in the United States. In 1926, Sweden's Crown Prince (Later King Gustav VI Adolf) placed a cornerstone for the American Swedish Historical Museum in southern Philadelphia. Construction was delayed due to the Great Depression, but the museum was dedicated during the tercentenary celebration of the New Sweden colony in 1938 (which was marked by another visit from the Swedish royal family).

Bibliography:

American Swedish Historical Museum. "History of the Museum." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.americanswedish.org/frames.htm

The Swedish Colonial Society. "A Brief History of New Sweden in America." Accessed March 15, 2012. http://www.colonialswedes.org/history/history.html

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum subject files, Bulk, 1938-1962, 1862-1994, (American Swedish Historical Museum)

"Jenny Lind, original name Johanna Maria Lind (born Oct. 6, 1820, Stockholm--died Nov. 2, 1887, Malvern, Worcestershire, Eng.), [was a] Swedish-born operatic and oratorio soprano admired for her vocal control and agility and for the purity and naturalness of her art.

"Lind made her debut in Der Freischütz at Stockholm in 1838 and in 1841 studied with Manuel García in Paris. Giacomo Meyerbeer wrote the part of Vielka for her in Ein Feldlager in Schlesien (Berlin, 1844), and in 1847 she sang in London the role of Amelia in I Masnadieri, written for her by Giuseppe Verdi. She first appeared in London in Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable (May 4, 1847); Henry Chorley reported that the town 'went mad about the Swedish nightingale.' "Her range extended from the B below middle C to high G. A skilled coloratura singer who often wrote her own cadenzas, she also sang simple songs with great appeal. Eventually her sincere piety made her determine to leave the stage. Success in oratorio and recital made it easier for her to do so, and her final appearance in opera was in 1849, in Robert le Diable . The following year she toured the United States under P.T. Barnum's auspices, and in 1852 she married her accompanist, Otto Goldschmidt. She and her husband lived first in Dresden, Germany, and from 1856 in England. In 1870 she appeared in Goldschmidt's oratorio Ruth at Düsseldorf, and in 1875 she led the sopranos in the Bach choir in London, founded by Goldschmidt. Her last appearance was in 1883. From 1883 to 1886 she taught at the Royal College of Music, London."

Bibliography

Quoted material from: Encyclopedia Britannica, Web ed., s.v. "Jenny Lind." Accessed March 2, 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/341805/Jenny-Lind.

From the guide to the American Swedish Historical Museum Jenny Lind collection, Bulk, 1847-1851, 1832-1950, (American Swedish Historical Museum)