Women's work, Adaption and Endurance

What made it possible for thousands of Norwegian women to leave their home communities and embark on the demanding journey to America between 1825 and 1925? A frequently overlooked yet crucial answer lies in their work experience.

This article builds on the discussions in “Who Gets a Place in History”? but shifts the focus toward women's labor—as it was actually carried out. Some of the reflections are inspired by the work of historian Ingeborg Fløystad, who studied women's work in traditional rural Norwegian society—a valuable starting point for understanding the role Norwegian women played in emigration.

These women were not merely accompanying others in migration; they were active participants. Their labor in rural communities laid the foundation for the resilience and adaptability needed in a new country. They milked, sewed, sowed, and shouldered burdens—and crossed the Atlantic with all of that as ballast.

Daily Life in the Traditional Rural Community

Women's work in rural Norway was extensive and essential. It included producing food and textiles, caring for livestock, maintaining the home, and caregiving. In addition, women participated in farm labor and woodcutting. They were present year-round and often carried the primary responsibility for the household—and even the farm—especially when the men were away fishing, logging, or working elsewhere.

This was not "secondary or optional," but the very foundation of survival and productivity.

Flexible Gender Roles and Division of Labor

The division of labor between men and women was flexible and shaped by region, resources, technology, and access to cash economies. On the west coast, where men were frequently away for long periods, women took on traditionally male tasks such as sowing, threshing, and forestry. Unmarried women often worked as servants, while married women ran the household and farm. Widows could emerge as independent actors, managing property and making decisions.

Gender roles were not fixed but adapted to necessity—and women were often the ones who crossed traditional boundaries.

From Work Experience to Emigration Experience

The women who emigrated brought with them a broad and practical skill set. They were used to taking responsibility, being adaptable, and working hard—qualities that were vital in the settler communities of America. Many found employment as domestic servants, cooks, midwives, laundresses, and factory workers, applying the knowledge they had gained in their home villages.

The transition was demanding, but they built on what they knew. These migrant women were not passive companions but independent participants with skills and the will to build new lives.

Changes Over Time

In the years leading up to 1925, changes in women's work continued to accelerate. What began as gradual improvements before 1850—potato cultivation, better housing, and tools like the spinning wheel, loom, and baking oven—was followed by broader societal transformations. Industrialization, the rise of Norway's textile industry, and increased access to ready-made goods changed home production. In some communities, home weaving and other crafts nearly disappeared; in others, they thrived as commercial goods.

At the same time, access to education, women's organizations, and emerging women's rights movements opened new paths for some women. But for the majority in rural areas, traditional labor persisted—now combined with new demands from specialized farming, dairy production, and rising expectations for cleanliness and childcare. This created a double burden: women still managed daily responsibilities while adapting to a society in flux.

Sources and Methods

Despite fragmented source material, it is possible to piece together women's history by combining census records, probate documents, court records, and topographical descriptions. Doing so requires patience and local knowledge. By viewing the household as a work unit and tracing the life paths of various women—such as tenant farmers’ wives, farmwives, or unmarried servants—we gain a concrete and nuanced picture of women's labor.

Work That Shaped the Future

Women's work in traditional rural Norway involved more than survival under limited conditions—it was a way of life that developed skills, a sense of responsibility, and resilience. In a world where security was never guaranteed, women learned to think practically, act quickly, and pull beyond their weight. These qualities, honed through years of hard work and caring for others, proved indispensable when new horizons opened.

To understand the nature and extent of this work is to understand the foundation of Norwegian emigration. Behind the statistics, names, and broad historical patterns are countless everyday stories—where women's contributions were vital, if often overlooked. Looking back on the period from 1825 to 1925, we should not only ask how many left, but who they were—and what they brought with them. For it wasn’t just hope that carried them forward. It was experience.

_{Source: Fløystad, I. (1994). "Women in Working Life." In A. Tranberg & H. Winge (Eds.), Women’s Conditions in the Old Society: Ca. 1500–1850 (2nd ed., pp. 7–22). Norwegian Institute of Local History.}

_{Fanebilete: Ein kvil i bakken på vegen til poteåkeren. Knud Knudsen fotografier 1864-1900/ UiB}