Why did scandinavians move to the upper midwest/great plains? (homes, employment)

[workaholics]

They immigrated to this region in large numbers. But why here? Was it the similarities in climate? What was so great about Minnesota as opposed to other regions where immigrants moved to at the time, like NYC?

[Captain_Fingers]

I'm guessing land and weather.

[Chicago60614]

Those land areas opened up at the same time when there were large numbers of immigrants from scandinavia due to circumstances in their countries during those decades. They were spread around as some of the most productive agricultural soils in the world (which they were).

[nephi215]

I'm guessing the cold weather of the upper Midwest and upper great plains may be appealing because it is similar to their homeland.

[Fossil Fools]

The Homestead Act of 1862 made land available to immigrants. Also the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Minnesota Immigration Board promoted the Midwest to Sweden specifically with employment and cheap land they owned as the rails were being laid in this area after the Civil War. The "America Letter" which each new immigrant here sent back to their homeland were testimonials often taken up on.

[JuliganO]

Mainly land and climate..... Scandinavians were used to Cold & Snowy winters.

[Halfbatman14]

**** you *****

[EnricoV]

It's a combination of both. Those were lands that were available for little or nothing, from the government in the era when more Scandinavians emigrated. And, most people tend to move to an area where the kind of crops, etc., that they were accustomed to growing could be grown, or the industries they were accustomed to working in were practiced. So usually, they moved to a similar climate to their homeland. And then a third factor is, people tended to follow where earlier emigrants had gone.