Danish American Information
Danish Americans (Danish: Dansk-Amerikanere) are Americans of Danish descent. There are approximately 1,500,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danish-Americans live in the Western United States or the Midwestern United States.
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Population
According to the United States Census of 2000, the states with the largest populations of Danish Americans are as follows:
- California - 207,030
- Utah - 144,713
- Minnesota - 88,924
- Wisconsin - 72,160
- Washington - 72,098
The states with the smallest populations of Danish Americans are as follows:
- West Virginia - 1,317
- Delaware - 1,585
- Rhode Island - 1,811
- Vermont - 2,522
- Mississippi - 2,617
If it were a state, Washington, D.C., would have the smallest Danish American population, with 1,047 counted in 2000.[2]
Usage of Danish Language
Danish Americans that continue the usage of the Danish language number about 30,000. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2000, 33,400 people spoke Danish at home, the figure was down to 29,467 5 years later (2005 American Community Survey), the decrease rate was about 11.8%.[1]
Culture
The Library of Congress has noted that Danish Americans, more so than other Scandinavian Americans, "spread nationwide and comparatively quickly disappeared into the melting pot....the Danes were the least cohesive group and the first to lose consciousness of their origins."[3] Historians have pointed to the higher rate of English use among Danes, their willingness to marry non-Danes, and their eagerness to become naturalized citizens as factors that contributed to their rapid assimilation, as well as their interactions with the already more assimilated German American community.[4]
As the Danes came to America, they brought with them their traditional foods. Popular Danish foods include kringle, æbleskiver, frikadeller (Danish meatballs), Flæskesteg (a traditional Danish Christmas meat, which is also sent to the U.S. but without the rind.) and risengrød.
In 1872, Danish Americans in Omaha, Nebraska, founded the Den Danske Pioneer, or Danish Pioneer, an English-Danish newspaper. Now published in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, it is the oldest Danish American newspaper in publication.[5]
Education
Like many other immigrant groups, Danish Americans also founded schools to educate their youth. Traditional Danish "folk schools," which focused more on learning outcomes than grades or diplomas, were operated primarily between the 1870s and 1930s in heavily Danish communities such as Racine, Wisconsin, Elk Horn, Iowa; Ashland, Michigan; West Denmark, Wisconsin; Nysted, Nebraska; Tyler, Minnesota; Kenmare, North Dakota; and Solvang, California.[4] Omaha, Nebraska and neighboring, Council Bluffs, Iowa, had "major colonies of Danes for many years"[6], as well.
The one major still-operating historically Danish American college is Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Until 2010, Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, operated, but closed its doors in July of that year due to a failure to thrive. Grand View University continues to maintain a large archival collection of Danish American history. The archival collection that once resided at Dana College is now in the care of the Danish Immigrant Museum.
Religious life
Like other groups of Americans of Scandinavian descent, many of them are Lutherans. Lutheran pioneer minister, Claus Lauritz Clausen, the first president of the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Conference, traveled to Denmark and influenced religious leaders to send pastors to America. The oldest Danish Lutheran congregation is Emmaus Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, founded August 22, 1851. Nearby Kenosha is home to the second oldest Danish Lutheran congregation, St. Mary's Lutheran Church, which is the largest congregation in the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In addition, a large number of Danish Americans belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Between 1849 and 1904, some 17,000 Danish Mormons and their children made the journey to the Church's settlements in Utah, making Danes second only to the British in number of foreigners recruited by the church to the state.
Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have the largest concentrations of non-Mormon Danish Americans. The states with the largest Mormon Danish American populations are Utah and Idaho -- and in the case of Idaho, particularly the southeastern part of the state.
Smaller but significant numbers of Danish Americans have also become Methodists, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Seventh-day Adventists.[4]
Danish American communities
Two cities, Chicago and Racine, Wisconsin, claim to be the home to the largest group of Danish Americans in the United States. Racine, 25 miles south of Milwaukee has the largest concentration of city dwellers with Danish origin. A number of other communities were founded by Danish Americans or have a large Danish American community:
Additionally, Danish Americans helped settle three U.S. counties: Montcalm, Michigan; St. Louis, Minnesota; and Sanpete, Utah.
Famous Danish Americans
Art
Gutzon Borglum chiseled Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, now a modern American icon.Sculptor Gutzon Borglum provided a staple of modern Americana when he chiseled Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. His brother, sculptor Solon Borglum, also gained fame for his representations of the American frontier. Among America's earliest oil painters of merit is Amadeus Christian Gullager, a premier painter in early Federal America, who also worked in terra cotta. The marine painters Antonio Jacobsen and Emil Carlsen left a considerable body of work which continues to draw strong art auction prices. Several Danish artists settled in the American West where they left their mark on the regional artistic genre. Not least among this group is counted Olaf Wieghorst, called the "Dean of Western Painters," and Olaf Seltzer. Johann Berthelsen was a prominent and prolific Impressionist painter known for his urban scenes, especially those of New York City. On the less formal level, Carl Christian Anton Christensen, is America's Danish-American equivalent of "Grandma Moses." In the early American decorative arts, one Danish-Afro-American stands out in particular - the accomplished Danish West Indies silversmith Peter Bentzon, who produced his masterpieces in both St. Croix and Philadelphia.
Science
Jens Clausen revolutionized the study of evolutionary genetics in botany, while Erik Erikson revolutionized developmental psychology with his theory on social development. Niels Ebbesen Hansen was a noted pioneer in Plant breeding. Lars-Ole Mortensen, originally born in Frederiksværk Danmark, is an historian of Viking history, Eskimo(Inuit), Native American studies and writer of Alaskan and Greenland/Polar Arctic activities. Charles Christian Lauritsen was a physicist. In the final months of World War II he was part of the team of scientists who invented the atomic bomb. Mikkel Frandsen was a physical chemist noted for his experiments involving chemical thermodynamics, oil, and heavy water.
Sport
In Sports, Morten Andersen holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history and the all-time leading scorer for two different teams. Jimmy Clausen, former Notre Dame and current Carolina Panthers quarterback. Related to sports, competitive swimming and swim wear have never been the same since Danish-American Carl G. Jantzen founded his Jantzen Knitting Works in Portland, Oregon.
Music
Carl Busch readily stands out as a Danish-American composer who embraced new musical themes, taking his artistic inspiration from "Western" Native-American tribal themes and melodies. The Danish-American tubist Anders Christian August Helleberg is remembered as not only a great symphony musician and virtuoso, but his Helleberg mouthpieces, which he developed, are still used throughout the world. Mose Christensen was a noted American violinist; he became a founder and conductor of the Oregon Symphony. A native of Salt Lake, Utah, Christensen's father emigrated from Denmark with the wave of Mormon pioneers in the early 1850s. Kai Winding was a popular trombonist and jazz composer. Lars Ulrich founded Metallica, arguably one of the world's most successful heavy metal bands.
Entertainment
Victor Borge, known as the Great Dane and Clown Prince of Denmark, gained fame for his offbeat comedy and music routines.
Michael J. Nelson well known as the head writer of the series Mystery Science Theater 3000 and currently Rifftrax
Journalism
Jacob Riis, a prominent socially conscious journalist and photographer, used his affluence to help the less fortunate of New York City with his implementation of "model tenements. " As one of the first American photographers to use flash, he is considered also considered a pioneer in photo journalism.
Politics
William Leidesdorff, the son of a Danish West Indies planter and an African mother arrived in San Francisco in 1841 and became both wealthy and arguably the first black diplomat in United States history. As the United States subconsul, he played a significant role in the turnover of Mexican California to the United States. Charles Walhart Woodman, who was born in Aalborg, Denmark, served as an U.S. Respresentative for Illinois from 1895-1897. Jacob Johnson, who also emigrated from Aalborg, Denmark, in 1854 and later served one term as a U.S. Representative for Utah from 1912-1915. Niels Juul a lawyer, State Representative, and U.S. Representative from Illinois, was born in Randers, Denmark, and served in Congress from 1917-1921. Andrew Petersen, an U.S. Representative from New York, was born in Thisted, Denmark, and emigrated with his parents to Boston in 1873, the family later moving to New York. Petersen served in Congress from 1921-1923. Herman Carl Andersen, an U.S. Representative from Minnesota, was born in Washington state and after a career in Minnesota politics served in the House of Representatives from 1939-1963. Andersen's father emigrated from Denmark in the late 1870s and later moved his family to a Danish immigrant enclave in Tyler, Minnesota. Hjalmar Petersen, an emigrant from Eskildstrup, Denmark, Midwest journalist, and onetime mayor of Askov, Minnesota, served in the Minnesota Legislature, and later as the Lieutenant Governor. Upon the death of Governor Olson in 1936, he became the 23rd Governor of Minnesota. George A. Nelson, the 1936 Vice Presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, was born to Danish parents in rural Wisconsin. Morgan F. Larson, of Perth Amboy, NJ, the son of a Danish immigrant blacksmith, served as governor of New Jersey from 1929-32. Steny Hoyer, a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives and the present House Majority Leader, is a native of New York City, but grew up in southern Maryland. Hoyer's father emigrated from Copenhagen, Denmark. Hoyer was bestowed a knighthood by the Queen of Denmark in 2008.
Movies
During the early days of Hollywood film making numerous Danes either produced, directed, or acted on the silver screen, to include: Robert Andersen, Ann Forest, Anders Randolph, Karl Dane, Otto Mathiesen, Winna Winfred, Gwili André, Gale Sondergaard, Torben Meyer, Bodil Rosing, Benjamin Christensen, Svend Gade, Carl Gerard, Ann Forrest, James Cruze, Jean Hersholt, Carl Brisson, Johannes Poulsen, Max Ree (1931 Oscar), Tambi Larsen.
More to modern times, many Danes are actively involved in the movie industry, however today's air transport no longer necessitates a Dane moving to America to be a part of Hollywood. Among the few Danes who have moved to the U.S.A. to pursue acting careers is Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen, who was born in Denmark and today lives in Sausalito, California. Additionally, a few stars signal the offspring from Danish-American parents. Viggo Mortensen, an actor, was born to a Danish father and an American mother. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson as also born to a Danish father.
Military
Christian Febiger (1749-1796) was an American Revolutionary War commander, born in Funen, he became a confidante of General George Washington and was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. Known by the moniker "Old Denmark", Febiger also served as Treasurer of Pennsylvania from November 13, 1789 until his death nearly seven years later.[7]
Robert A. Arensen, FM1, USN, lost his life on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor when the U.S.S. Helena was torpedoed. Arensen came from Perth Amboy, NJ.
A leading executive in the automobile industry, William S. Knudsen, an emigrant from Copenhagen, Denmark, accepted President Franklin Roosevelt's urging to manage the task of overseeing America's vast wartime military armament and supply production. In 1942, Knudsen accepted a brevet commission and served for the duration of the war as a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipients
- James Miller (Medal of Honor) (1865), Quartermaster, USN, U.S.S. Marblehead, for action on St. John's Island on 25 Dec 1863. Born Denmark.
- John Brown (Medal of Honor) (1866), Captain of the Afterguard, USN, for rescuing two seamen of the U.S.S. Winooski off Eastport, ME, on 10 May 1866. Born in Denmark.
- James Benson (Medal of Honor) (1872), Seaman, USN, U.S.S. Ossipee, for lifesaving on 20 Jun 1872. Born Denmark.
- Claus Kristian Randolph Clausen, (1899) Coxwain, USN, for heroism connected to the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac, Santiago, Cuba, on 2 Jun 1898. Born Denmark.
- Frederick Muller (1901), Mate, USN, U.S.S. Wompatuck, for action at Manzanillo, Cuba, on 30 Jun 1898. Born Denmark.
- Gotfred Jensen (1906), Private. Co. D, 1st ND Vol. Inf. for action at San Miguel de Mayumo, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on 13 May 1899. Born Denmark.
References
- ^ "Census 2006 ACS Ancestry estimates"
- ^ Danish Americans
- ^ Danes in America - Danish Immigration to America - Bibliographies & Guides - Local History & Genealogy Reading Room (Library of Congress)
- ^ a b c Danish Americans
- ^ The Danish Pioneer Oldest Danish-American Newspaper in USA
- ^ Thernstrom, S. (1980) Harvard encyclopedia of American ethnic groups. Harvard University Press. p 276.
- ^ Christian Febiger Bio
Bibliography
- Beasley, Norman. Knudsen: a Biography, New York: Whittlesey House, 1947.
- Garde, H. F.. Peter Bentzon -- en vestindisk guldsmed, Personalhistorisk Tidsskrift 1993:1, pp. 68-83.
- Jensen, Arne Hall. Den Dansk-Amerikanske Historie: En Udførlig Skildrig af de Danske Udvandrere til Amerika fra Tidligste Tid til Vore Dage, København: Arthur Jensens Forlag, 1937.
- Layton, Rachel. Peter Bentzon, A "Mustice" Silversmith in Philadelphia and St. Croix, International Review of African American Art, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 31-35.
- Layton, Rachel. Peter Bentzon, Silversmith, The Magazine Antiques, February 1995, pp.306-315.
- Meyer, Edith Patterson. "Not Charity, but Justice" The Story of Jacob A. Riis, New York: Vanguard Press, 1974.
- Price, Willadene. Gutzon Borglum: Artist and Patriot, New York: Rand McNally, 1961.
- Sadik, Marvin. Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America, Washington: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 1976.
- Shaff, Howard and Shaff, Audrey Karl. Six Wars at a Time: The life and times of Gutzon Borglum, Sioux Falls: Center for Western Studies, 1985.
- Taliaferro, John. Great White Fathers: The Story of the Obsessive Quest to Create Mount Rushmore, New York: Public Affairs, 2002.
External links
- Danish Immigrant Museum
- The Danish Pioneer
- Danish American Center
- Danish Sisterhood of America
- Danish American Trivia
- Danish American Population Figures
- Danish American Heritage Society
- Danish American Chamber of Commerce
- National Danish-American Genealogical Society
- Multicultural America: Danish Americans
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Categories: American people of Danish descent | Danish diaspora | Ethnic groups in the United States | Danish emigrants | Immigrants to the United States
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