HE RITAG E
Moving to America in 1868 In the first half of the 19th century, Sweden ran out of arable land. A steadily growing population (due to successful vaccinations) depressed wages. The towns offered few opportunities. A rigid class system favored inherited social position over talent, intelligence, and entrepreneurial spirit. These were some of the circumstances behind the poverty in Sweden in 1868.
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Samuel’s Diary Part 3
Diary Kept on the Journey to America 1868 by Samuel Magnus Hill Introduction and translation by Lars Nordström [Wednesday May] 6th I got up early in the morning to warm [myself] by taking a stroll, and I walked down to the canal and the harbor, where the ships were. There I had the opportunity to see, for the first time [ever], a ship with masts and rigging, and it was exactly as I had envisioned it from reading about it. Later in the day the left-behind luggage arrived. Money was exchanged and contracts for the journey were made with the company; we bought tickets and [since] we had made down payments we were assured of obtaining passage. A few small items were purchased, a little wine and Persian insect powder [against lice]. [Thursday May] 7th The day after that we went to see the sights, among them the great bust of [King] Gustavus Adolphus, who had founded the city. In the evening I was pretty tired, because I had served as a guide even though I had never been to Gothenburg before. There we met—completely unexpectedly—the son of our old neighbor, Kalle Hultin, who had left his parents without telling them where he had gone. He had been to sea, and he promised to write home so that they did not have to worry about him. [Friday May] 8th Finally the day came for us to leave our dear homeland and meet our unknown fate. Already at an early hour everyone was up and around. And when everything had been put in order, we left the inn and walked down to the docks, where the ship was berthed, ready to receive its freight of people and goods. It was here that we ran into Karl Hultin. When our things had been stowed, we were also allowed to get on board and find the best place we could. The name of the ship was Cato , and it cast off from land at 5:45 PM. An hour later we had lost sight of land; we had seen our homeland for the last time. Oh, what a sight! When the last trace [of land] had disappeared, we hurried below to arrange our sleeping accommodations and eat supper. Our bed was made on top of one of our trunks, in a strong draft, which, however, was better than in any other place, because we were on an elevated area of the ship, next to the stairs to the lower deck. It was good both because no water stayed there, and because we had our neighbors and friends all around. At the other end of the ship there were some people from Småland, and they made an awful row. I lost my wallet, which I had in my coat pocket.
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Final Swedish Press No.4 May CAN 2013.indd 14
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