Emigration Period
Emigration from Iceland started as early as 1855, although the main emigration period occurred between 1870 and1914. During that time, 15,000 people - some estimates go as high as 20,000 - left Iceland for a better life in the "west". Whatever the number, this was a very significant portion of the total population of Iceland which was only 70,000 during this period. Our member database holds a vast array of information on these people and the places they travelled to.
Find out some of the reasons why our ancestors left Iceland.
Read the story which describes the living conditions of one man who lived in Northern Iceland during the emigration period.
Here is where our ancestors emigrated from
and where they emigrated to.
For an academic account of the emigration period, check this out.