Why did a large number of Scandinavian people immigrate to Minnesota?
“Immigration to the US from the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland increased dramatically in the late 19th century, due to mounting economic pressures and overpopulation.” “Norwegians favored Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Danes settled primarily in the agricultural regions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas, while Swedes settled across the entire upper Midwest. Finns built their new lives on the farms and lumber mills of the upper Midwest, the mines of the West, and the factories of the industrial Northeast: Michigan was the heartland of Finnish America.” Basically, economic pressures and overpopulation… and job opportunities in areas similar to their home lands, especially for certain trades (some farming, some mining). Also people of the same heritage already settling in the area help. And why not, the climate is pretty close to their home lands.
