Aim/Essential Question:

How did Ole Rynning's True Account of America act as an incentive for Norwegian immigration to the United States?

Materials:

• Print out Ole Rynning's True Account of America, 1837 (excerpts - pdf) by Ole Rynning (A complete version of Ole Rynning's True Account of America with footnotes and background information can also be found at the National Library of Norway: http://nabo.nb.no/trip?_b=EMITEKST&_f=www_sub&r=635&delnr=4)
• Print out the United States Archives & Records Administration Written Document Analysis Worksheet pdf, or find an online version at: http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/
  analysis_worksheets/document.html
  

Objectives:

• Students will analyze the challenges and opportunities faced by the immigrants.
  
  
• Students will gain an understanding of the decision-making process used by Norweigans in determining whether or not to come to America.
  
  
• Students will compare and contrast the reasons for immigration today with reasons for immigration in the nineteenth century.

Motivation:
(A) The teacher will ask how many of the students or their parents came to the U.S. from a different country. Using their responses as a guide, the teacher will write on the board a list of the reasons why these people came to America.

(B) The teacher will write immigrant Gullik O. Gravdal's 1839 quote on the board or on an overhead:

"Hardly any other Norwegian publication has been purchased and read with such avidity as this Rynning's Account of America. People traveled long distances to hear 'news' from the land of wonders, and many who before were scarcely able to read began in earnest to practice in the 'America-book,' making such progress that they were soon able to spell their way forward and acquire most of the contents. … Ministers and bailiffs tired to frighten us with terrible tales about the dreadful sea monsters, and about man-eating wild animals in the new world; but when Ansten Nattestad had said Yes and Amen to Rynning's Account, all fears and doubts were removed. "

The teacher will hold a class discussion about the quote, explaining that the class is going to investigate the document that helped open the gates of Norwegian immigration.