Going to America.
Travel Routes of Zeeland Emigrants
R.P. Swierenga
Dutch emigrants thought long and hard before deciding to go to America, and once
the decision was made they were just as deliberate about planning the journey across
the ocean and selecting the place of settlement. They had time to plan their journey
to America because they were not forced like the Irish to flee from famine, or like the
Germans to run from revolution, or like the Russian Jews to escape persecution.'
Among this number were at least 25,000 Zeelanders who sailed into U.S. ports
between 1835 and 1920. In the first period of emigration, 1835-1880, 14.100 left for
overseas destinations, of which 96 percent settled in the U.S.A. Zeelanders made up
almost one-quarter of all Dutch emigrants in these years. Between 1881 and 1900
11,300 more Zeeuwen emigrated, with 87 percent going to the U.S.A. From 1901 to
1920 another 8,000 Zeelanders departed overseas, but less than two-thirds went to the
U.S.A. In the important early years from 1835 to 1880, the province of Zeeland ran
ked first in overseas emigration on a per capita basis and in total numbers. Zeeland's
overseas emigration rate was 841 per 100,000 population, or more than twice that of
any other province. Zeeland also led in per capita emigration in the period 1881 to
1893, although Friesland and Groningen surpassed it in total numbers.2
Before crossing the great ocean immigrants had to make plans and consider a
number of key questions. Which port cities were most conveniently located, taking
account of fares and the quality of service offered by the various shipping companies?
What was the most favorable time of year to sail, considering weather conditions and
also the prospects for finding work upon arrival? Was it advantageous to travel in
large groups, which offered greater security but also the inevitable delays and loss of
control over travel arrangements? What shipping companies had the best reputation
for reliability, cleanliness, and service?
The answers to these and many similar questions about the immigrant traffic can
be found in official records and reports, personal travel diaries, and in letters sent
back to family and friends about the journey across. The letters and diaries portray
individual experiences and reveal the pathos of leaving, the routine of the ocean pas
sage, and the exhilaration of arrival in the land of promise. A federal law required ship
captains beginning in 1820 to submit under oath to American customs officials detai
led lists of arriving passengers.3 The ship manifests reported the standard biographi
cal facts on each immigrant but, unfortunately, not the municipality of origin.4 The
Netherlands government, however, compiled annual lists of overseas emigrants from
each municipality for the years 1835 to 1880, which I have linked with the ship pas
senger manifests to provide the detailed information needed to answer the questions
posed earlier.
Ships and Ports of Embarkation
The immigrant trade was clearly tied to the normal lines of transatlantic commerce.
The early vessels were mainly freighters that carried raw American produce such as
cotton to Europe and on the return trip 'human freight' provided a paying ballast. In
TRAVEL ROUTES OF ZEELAND EMIGRANTS
19
