Causes of emigration Why did so many inhabitants from the Kinda area emigrate? We know that the voyage over was hard and those who set off had seldom before in their lives travelled far away from home. Still they took the big step to leave their native country. Why? The causes are of course many and sometimes several factors certainly played an important part at the same time. Below we have chosen the categories economy, religion and social causes. These factors are well-known in Swedish and international emigration research and we also find them described by our inhabitants from the Kinda area. From the aboved mentioned we can see that economic and social causes very likely have been the most important factors. It has been difficult for us to find direct descriptions of why they have left Sweden, but our letter-writers often tell us how their lives have improved after they have established themselves in America. Then they also describe their reminiscences of the country they have left. That these letters home later on in turn have influenced new emigrants is quite obvious. Letter 2215 in 1860 from J. T. Johansson to schoolteacher Melker Bröthlin, Kölefors. “I must mention that I am going to America, I got a ticket from my Uncle Johannes, but what is worse is that I have not the means to go to Gothenburg, I thought that I could humbly ask Bröthlin to help me so much that I would be able to go there”.

Economical causes Further reading..

Religious causes Further reading..

Social causes Further reading..