{{Short description|Norwegian-American newspaper}} {{italic title}}'''''Nordlyset''''' ({{lit|The Northern Light}}) was the first in a series of Norwegian-American newspapers published by the Norwegian immigrant community in the United States.<ref name="Racine">{{cite news |title=Norwegian Press Got Start in Racine County Century Ago |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54443909/nordlyset/ |newspaper=The Journal Times |date=December 26, 1947 |page=4 |via = Newspapers.com |accessdate=June 30, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> The first issue was published on St. Olaf's Day (July 29) 1847 in the Muskego Settlement in the Wisconsin Territory.<ref name="Racine"/> The editor of the newspaper was James DeNoon Reymert, an immigrant from Farsund,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Nordlyset |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |year=2009 |url=https://snl.no/Nordlyset |language=Norwegian |accessdate=June 30, 2020}}</ref> and the newspaper was printed in Even Hansen Heg's (1790–1850) cabin.<ref name="Racine"/> The newspaper promoted new American values, such as freedom and equality. Many of its articles argued that the freedom of Norwegian expatriates was far greater in the United States, and that this was the main reason why many had emigrated from Norway.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Østrem |first1=Nils Olav |title=Utvandringa – skapt av grunnlov, demokrati og lokalstyre? |url=https://www.norgeshistorie.no/industrialisering-og-demokrati/1547-utvandringa-skapt-av-grunnlov-demokrati-og-lokalstyre.html |website=Norgeshistorie |publisher=Universitetet i Oslo |accessdate=June 30, 2020 |date=November 25, 2015}}</ref> In 1850, the newspaper was purchased by Knud Langeland, who changed its name to ''Democraten'' (The Democrat).<ref name="Racine"/>

Nordlyset was a strong opponent of slavery and actively supported the Free Soil Party.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lovoll |first=Odd S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLSXGUQrsQoC |title=Norwegian Newspapers in America: Connecting Norway and the New Land |date=2010 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |isbn=978-0-87351-772-0 |pages=17 |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Scandinavian-language newspapers outside of Scandinavian-speaking countries}}

Category:Defunct newspapers published in Wisconsin Category:Norwegian-American culture in Wisconsin Category:Newspapers established in 1847 Category:Publications disestablished in 1850 Category:Norwegian-language newspapers published in the United States Category:1847 establishments in Wisconsin Territory

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