To leave, or not to leave, that is the question : A Study of Emigration to North America from St. Sigfrid's Parish During the Years 1857–1930

The aim of this study is to investigate the emigration to North America from St. Sigfrid’s parish in Sweden during the years 1857–1930 with the purpose of then comparing it to the national level. The research gathered information from church records in order to explain possible differences between S:t Sigfrid’s parish and the general population. Factors such as emigration numbers, age, gender, occupation and marital status are analyzed to identify patterns and trends. Literature about emigration is also utilized to find out what may have influenced migration decisions and demographic shifts both within the parish and across the nation. The total number of emigrants registered from S:t Sigfrid’s parish during this time was determined to be 193. One major finding of the study is that Sigfrid’s parish had a tendency to follow Sweden’s emigration pattern, with a few exceptions. One striking difference appeared to be a significant delay of the initial phase of the emigration for Sigfrid’s parish. Another deviation is found in the age distribution of Sigfrid’s women aged 15-29, which in comparison showed a substantial overrepresentation. However, when the total number of emigrant men and women were compared within Sigfrid’s parish, women had a notably lower representation compared to Sweden’s gender distribution. A secondary aim of the study is to explore what possibilities the study might have regarding teaching in a Swedish school setting and how beneficial it would be to learn about the historical phenomenon of the Swedish mass emigration period.