Leif Erikson

In the third and final chapter of the Cleng Peerson saga, you will hear what happened when the father of Norwegian emigration joined a cult and married a woman 26 years his junior. You will also learn about his final walk toward the Texas sun—and why Clifton, in Bosque County, is called the Norwegian Capital of Texas. This episode features Kirk Mies, Marty Ray, Thomas Mannes, and Chris Ardis.

5 Huhti 202558min

In this second episode of 200 Norwegians, you’ll hear how Cleng Peerson’s grand plan failed—and how, in the end, President John Quincy Adams stepped in to rescue the Sloopers after their arrival in America. We’ll explore the brutal early years in Kendall, New York, a place that came to be known as the "Black North." Then, we’ll follow in Peerson’s footsteps as he pushes west in search of a new settlement, culminating in a fateful night under a tree in the Fox River Valley, where he experienced a biblical vision that would seal the destiny of his countrymen.

21 Maalis 202538min

In this first episode, you'll hear the story of Cleng Peerson, the father of Norwegian emigration. Discover his humble beginnings, and how an unlikely chain of events—spurred by the Napoleonic Wars and an unhappy marriage—set him on the path to becoming a Moses figure for a group of persecuted Norwegians. The episode also follows the journey of the Norwegian Mayflower across the Atlantic, where a casket of sweet wine nearly sent them to the bottom of the sea.

6 Maalis 202545min