Restauration (ship)

"Restauration" was a sloop built in 1801 in Hardanger, Norway. It became a symbol of Norwegian American immigration.

On July 5, 1825, "Restauration" set sail from Stavanger with 52 people aboard, many of them Norwegian Quakers, on what is considered the first organized emigration from Norway to the United States. This group, led by Cleng Peerson, landed in New York City on October 9, 1825 after a three-month voyage, and moved onward to their first settlement, in Kendall, Orleans County, New York. The people who made this voyage are sometimes referred to as the Sloopers.

. The sloop "Restauration" (also spelled "Restoration") was featured on a United States postage stamp honoring the centennial in 1925.

Historical sources may contain several variations on the name of the sloop, including Restauration, Restoration, Restaurasjonen, and Restorasjon.

The date of Leif Erikson Day in the United States was chosen to coincide with the day the "Restauration" arrived in New York Harbor: October 9.

References

* [http://www.wheelerfolk.org/sloop.htm The Norwegian Sloop Restoration Page]
* [http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NORWAY/1999-05/0925640459] An account of the seizure of the vessel upon its arrival and subsequent presidential pardon, at Rootsweb