clicked off to the Writer's Almanac to find out more,
but alas Garrison let me down, or his editors did, and
nada Norway was mentioned. So I snooped a bit on
my own.
Leif Erikson Day is an annual American observance occurring on October 9. It honors Leif Ericson, the Norse explorer who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America.
America Not Discovered by Columbus by Rasmus B. Anderson was published during 1874. This book helped popularize the now familiar idea that Vikings were the first Europeans in the New World. During his appearance at the Norse-American Centennial in 1925, President Calvin Coolidge gave recognition to Leif Erikson as the Discoverer of America. In 1930, Wisconsin became the first state to officially adopt Leif Erikson Day as a state holiday, thanks in large part to efforts made by Rasmus Anderson. A year later Minnesota followed suit. By 1956, Leif Erikson Day had been made an official observance in seven states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California) and one Canadian province (Saskatchewan).
In 1963, the U.S. Representative from Duluth, John Blatnik, introduced a bill to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. The following year Congress adopted this unanimously. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery. In addition to the federal observance, some states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day, particularly in the Upper Midwest, where large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled.
October 9th is not associated with any particular event in Leif Erikson's life. The date was chosen because the ship Restauration coming from Stavanger, Norway, arrived in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825 at the start of the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States.
I am Welsh & Mixed Blood Indian
ReplyDelete( American)..There are stellae in Northern Maine, with their Celtic Rune writing on them..they Pre-date Erickson and KKKolumbus by many Long years. Guess what? the WELSH intermarried, Learned Culture and ways of Life as practiced by the Native People that they got along with so well..The Welsh/Indians traveled down to what is now Indiana, "Madoc" was a Welsh/Indian man, who LIVED the Native ways..Imbued his People with Native Beliefs, had Indian Wives and got along with All. I wish I could say "Lived Happily Ever After"..BUT Along came the French. along came the English,along came Lief Erickson & KKKOLMBUS..all of which enslaved, Murdered, chained and set these most Peaceful, happy people against each other..Greed was the Main cause of this, and the "American" way of Living..( Murder & enslave anyone who isn't the same color as you)..
We who are the descendant of these Fine, Generous Indian & Welsh People are still hurting..and Probably always will..we had a Pot on the Fire so anyone could eat, that just dropped in, Fellow Travelers, anyone..maybe THAT was our Downfall..maybe we should have left the Whites out in the Cold to starve..BUT WE weren't made that way..giving & giving til there was no more. And So It Goes..
I Thank You my Relatives..You are a Good and True People.
Very interesting comment. I had not heard about the Welsh sailing over and consider it very likely. I have no doubt other peoples "discovered" America besides Erikson and Columbus. It's a pretty big continent, after all. I suppose why these two men are celebrated, especially Columbus, is because of the large-scale impact their discovery had on the rest of the world. None of our historical heroes were perfect, and were products of their time. We can hardly compare them to ourselves with the way social issues are viewed now as compared to then. But I also believe that God inspired many people to travel to the Americas, including Erikson and Columbus. How later peoples unfairly treated the Native Americans is another serious topic. As an American (with a Creek & Miami great great grandmother + many British ancestors), I feel that our American heroes need to be remembered, mistakes of the past learned from, and those lessons and memories passed on to the next generation. It is our heritage, however imperfect.
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