Iowa Letters: Dutch Immigrants On The American Frontier

by Johan Stellingwerff, Robert P. Swierenga (Editor)

Stellingwerff (Free U. of Amsterdam) and Swierenga (history, Hope College, Holland) present an expanded edition of the original Dutch text published under the title Amsterdamse Emigranten (Buijten & Schipperheijn, 1976). The text features some 215 immigrant letters relating to the midwestern frontier, from archives and private holdings on both side

701 pages, Hardcover

First published December 20, 2004

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was an excellent view into Midwest immigrants' lives. It focuses on the lives of people who migrated due to religious persecution in their homeland. Much of some letters focus on religious texts which I was able to gloss over which made reading go more quickly. Although it was interesting to read the religious viewpoints which reflect so much of what you can still hear today.
The book runs from the migrants of 1846 until the deaths of the two major letter-writers in Iowa and the Netherlands in 1873.
I would certainly recommend reading this book to others. It is quite large but reading the firsthand accounts of people's lives is interesting and feels more active than reading a report of what people had said. I also liked reading the reports from Europe and the various dramas that occurred during this time period as well.

Just FYI, the actual reading portion of this book ends at page 640, the rest is index and other reference material.

An interesting side note is I borrowed this book from my future in-laws. My fiance's mother is a descendant of one of the main characters (Budde).

[LJHLaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting collection of letters that opens a window onto the establishment of the community of Pella, Iowa, by Dutch immigrants in the 19th century. The reader learns about everyday life in the community's early years and about the values that guided the people who built the community.