The Great Swedish Emigration: Letters That Changed a Nation

In this episode of The History of Sweden, Lucas and Luna explore the mass emigration of nearly 1.3 million Swedes to America between 1840 and 1930. They discuss the push factors—crop failures, religious persecution, and the draw of free land—and the pull of letters and 'America fever.' The conversation focuses on the role of letters in sparking emigration, the establishment of Swedish-American communities like Bishop Hill, and the eventual impact on Swedish society, including reforms and a changed national identity. They also touch on the story of a specific emigrant, Måns Månsson, and his journey, using his letters as a lens. The episode aims to show how a small Nordic country's population movement reshaped both Sweden and the United States.

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