The emigration to America in the latter half of the 19th century was driven in part by religious intolerance in the Netherlands. During that period the Dutch Reformed Church underwent an internal struggle that resulted in those believing in predestination to become dissenters and then to secede. The resulting persecution compelled many to emigrate to America. In 1847 Dominee Albertus C. VanRaalte began a colony in Holland, Michigan, USA while Dominee Hendrik P. Scholte founded a colony in Pella, Iowa, USA. Many others followed with Dutch communities being established in Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Patterson, New Jersey; Spokane, Washington and Pere, Wisconsin to name a few.

Plate, Reuchlin & Co. began Trans-Atlantic crossings in 1872 to cater to the epic Europe to America migration that took place prior to World War I. They reorganized in 1873 as the Nederlandsch Amerikaansche Stoomvart Maatschaapij known from 1896 as Holland - America. Direct sailing's from Rotterdam, Netherlands to New York, USA were soon the norm and by 1898 over 1,300 voyages had carried 90,000 saloon and 400,000 steerage passengers. Further information about the Holland-America Line, including many photos, can be found at Hans Segboer's Unofficial Holland America Line  homepage.

Emigrate Registers (Emigration Records) for the period 1847 to 1878 are available from the Netherlands Provincial archives; for the period 1875 to 1934 from the Municipal archives of Amsterdam and Harlingen; and from 1918 on from the Amsterdam & Rotterdam shipping companies.