Amerikabåt

Amerikabåt (plural Amerikabåten, lit. transl. America boat) were the ships that carried emigrants from Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden to the United States. Amerikabåten were technically simply a subtype of transatlantic ship but their role in the emigrant exodus gave them additional cultural significance. Songs, such as "Amerikabåten" [no], written by Matias Orheim [no] in 1906, about the emigrants, included lyrical references to these ships.^[1]

SS Bergensfjord, a typical 20th century Amerikabåt

Swedish American Line (1914-1984) was a cargo and passenger line that might be referred to as "amerikabåt" and whose ships operated between Gothenburg and New York.

See also

• Thingvalla Line (1879-1898), renamed Scandinavian America Line (1898-1935), Danish line to America
  • Rescue of the SS Danmark (1889)
  • SS Norge (1881-1904)
• Norwegian America Line (1910-1995)