Former Swedish Colonies - New Sweden (2)

The New Sweden Colony in North America 1638 - 1655 (2)

The Expeditions to New Sweden

A total of eleven expeditions were sent from Sweden between 1638 and 1655 to the New Sweden Colony. One other was sent after the colony had fallen into the hands of the Dutch but before the message had reached Sweden. The Colonizers came from all over of Sweden. The first emigrants were convicted felons that had been offered a choice between imprisonment in Sweden or emigration to New Sweden where they had to stay at least five years. Emigrants later were voluntary emigrants most of all from Western Sweden, Dalarna, Jämtland, Värmland and Ångermanland. A large group of colonizers were the so- called Forest Finns or as they also were called svedjefinnar derived from the technique of burn-beating used when they broke new land in Sweden. The share of Swedes with Finnish origin in New Sweden was in 1655 circa 22% but the share was later increased. The compilation below is from Wikepedia. What’s missing at Wikipedia is the Kalmare Nyckel’s fourth voyage in the spring of 1644 together with the Fama.

Exp. is expedition. Outbound is the date when the ships departed Gothenburg, Sweden. Homebound is the date when the ships set sail at the Delaware River.

The Kingdom of Sweden in the 17th Century

The 17th century was an era when the Realm of Sweden expanded its borders in Europe by force. The many ongoing wars cost a fortune and many soldiers were needed in the army. The population of Sweden was small; in the middle of the 17th century Sweden only counted about 1,220,000 inhabitants. At this time Sweden had a system of involuntary conscription and the young men were either needed in the Army or for farming producing food. Sweden possessed land on both sides of the Baltic Sea (Östersjön), so the sea was more or less a Swedish inland sea. The new Swedish provinces abroad also needed troops for protection. See a Map of Sweden from end of the 17th century Sweden was an aristocratic country where nobility was a class with special privileges. To reach any higher positions within civil administration or the military you needed to be of noble birth. This was also a period when the wealth of the nobility greatly grew. Great castles and manors were built by the aristocrats. They were also granted land and property by the crown, especially after the 30- Years' War. The nobility were also exempted from certain taxation. Despite the large landowners Sweden never had a feudal system (unlike other European countries) with serf peasants. The Swedish peasantry was free and independent.

New Constitution in 1634

Sweden adopted a new “Regeringsform” (constitution) in the Parliament meeting 1634. The constitution brought many reforms and new Government Services like Swedish Mail (Sweden's Postal Service). It also resulted in a modernization of the administration, judiciary system and the armed forces.

Län

For sole administrative purposes Sweden in 1634 was divided into 17 regional districts called “Län”. Five of the Län were located in Finland (Finland was a part of Sweden until 1809). The Län is the area for regional administration and the first level below the national government. The “socken” (from the 1860’s the “kommun”) is the area for local administration. Each Län is headed by a Governor (Landshövding) appointed by the Crown. The borderlines of the Län have changed many times since 1634. Län have been divided and consolidated. Today Sweden has 21 Län (2013). Län is translated to county in English. The Swedish Län (County) has a role more similar to the State in the USA compared to the role of the US County. However, the Swedish Län (counties) doesn’t have the independence of the States in the USA. The US County is better compared to the Swedish “Kommun” (Municipality) rather than to the Swedish Län (County).

The Army

The Swedish Army was also modernized and reorganized into modern regiments instead of the earlier “Fänika” (foot soldiers) and “Fana” (cavalry). This reorganization began already in the 1620’s. Infantry and cavalry regiments were now established in each province of Sweden including Finland. In total 20 provincial infantry regiments were organized (13 in Sweden and 7 in Finland) and 8 cavalry regiments (5 in Sweden and 3 in Finland). Prior to 1682 soldiers in the infantry and navy were recruited by a system called "utskrivning" (involuntary conscription).

Swedish Finland

Swedish interest for the land east of the Gulf of Bothnia began early. During the Viking era, 800 – 900, a Swedish colonization began on the northern shores of Gulf of Finland. During the 12th century there was a Swedish expansion to the east. In the middle and at the end of the 13th century we know there were Swedish crusades to Finland. Strongholds were constructed for the protection of the captured land; such as the castles at Åbo, Tavastehus and Vyborg (east of the Gulf of Finland). The political plan was to control Russian trade. In the peace treaty between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia) in 1323 the Swedish eastern border with Russia was established. The western and southern parts of Finland became Swedish while Russia gained the eastern parts. Finland now became a fully consolidated part of Sweden and was under the same political and juridical administration as the rest of Sweden. Finland was never a “nation” under Swedish rule but one of four Swedish regions or "lands" (landsdelar); Svealand, Götaland, Norrland and Finland. However, the northern part of today’s Finland was before 1809 a part of Norrland, not Finland. An ancient name of the land Finland is "Österland" (Eastlands). Swedish-speaking colonists settled down in the coastal regions of Finland. In 1362 the Finns received the right to send representatives to the elections of Kings and in the 1500’s this right was extended to also send representatives to the Swedish Parliament. Swedish was the primary language used in administration, jurisdiction and higher education. The images shows Sweden’s territory in the 1600s. Forest Finns: There was an extensive migration of Finns to the Swedish half of the nation (present Sweden) from the 1580’s to the beginning of the 1600’s. About 40,000 Finnish forest farmers then settled down in the large forest regions from Värmland in the mid-west up to Medelpad and Ångermanland in southern Norrland. They were called “svedjefinnar” or “skogsfinnar” (Forest Finns) in Swedish. The term “svedje-finnar” comes from the technique of braking forest land into farmland through slash-and-burn, used by these Finns. The term in Swedish is "svedjebruk". Slash-and-burn means that the forest is cut down and set to fire whereupon the ashes are evenly spread on the ground. The burnt area is then sowed with seed, usually rye. However, the richness of the burnt land only lasts for a few years. So, every two or three years the Forest Finns moved to new forests and had to start all over. It takes about 25 years for a forest to grow up so the Forest Finns were always on the move. The slash-and-burn technique needs large forest regions according to a Royal promulgation. The reason for the migration of Finns was the lack of fresh forests, the so-called ”Klubbekriget” (The Cudgel War), 1596 - 1597, and the Swedish Crown's interest of having the vast forest regions of central Sweden broken into farmland. The Forest Finns were therefore exempted from taxation during their first years of slash-and-burn in Sweden. Prior to the Finnish migration to these areas only the river valleys, lands around lakes etc were farmland. However, as slash-and-burn farming went on, large forest areas were lost and the Crown began to hold back the Forest Finns’ farming mainly because of conflicting interests. The growing Swedish mining industry and ironworks needed a large number of forests for charcoal making. Slashing-and-burning was therefore prohibited by regulations in 1647 and 1664. The ban on Slashing-and- burning wasn’t a total ban; it could continue to some extent. The regulation of 1647 came at the time of the Swedish colonization of North America and contributed to the emigration of Forest Finns. The Forest Finns learned the Swedish language and became bilingual; however they kept their cultural characters and the Finnish language. The origin of the name Finland is not really known. Finland is Suomi in Finnish. Many regiments were established in the Finnish half of Sweden during the Swedish ”Great Power Period”, both infantry and cavalry. The soldiers in the regiments in Finland were Finnish, while the majority of the officers came from the western half of Sweden. The military command language was Swedish. There was a reason for this. When a soldier or an officer was transferred to another regiment they had to understand the commands independent of where in Sweden the regiment was established. The Finns were very able and loyal soldiers of the Swedish Army. Swedish Finland was lost to Russia after a war which ended in 1809. In the peace treaty it wasn’t a “Finland” that was signed over to Russia but six provinces, the Åland Islands and a part of Västerbotten province in northern Sweden. The modern definition of Finland didn’t arise until it was parted from Sweden and became the Grand Duchy Finland (Storfurstendömet Finland) under the Russian rule. Finland became an independent nation in 1917. In 1809, when Finland was conquered by the Russians the Swedish language remained the only official language. In 1863, both Finnish and Swedish become official national languages in Finland with equal status. Finland has since then been a bilingual country with a Swedish-speaking minority living mostly in the coastal areas of southern, south- western, and western Finland. So, the emigrating Finns from Sweden to North America in the middle of the 1600's were Swedish citizens even if they were also an ethnical group of their own.

Swedish Monarchs at the time of the New Sweden Company and New Sweden

Map of the Realm of Sweden during its Great Power Period. As we can see on the map not only was Finland within the borders of Sweden but also the area east of the Bay of Finland (Ingermanland) as well as the Baltic States of Estonia (Estland), Livonia (Livland) plus Sweden’s provinces in Northern Germany. The yellow color marks the Swedish territory. The Baltic Sea (Östersjön) was more or less a Swedish inland sea.

Explanations

The Ships

Kalmare Nyckel The Kalmare Nyckel (Key of Kalmar) was a Swedish man-of-war, a 35 m (115 ft) long pinnace armed with 12 guns constructed in the Netherlands in the 1620's. A pinnace was a three-masted square-rigger from the 17th century built in the Netherlands. The pinnace was used as merchantmen as well as men-of-war. The major difference between a pinnace and a full- rigged ship is that the pinnace was smaller. The Kalmare Nyckel was constructed in the Netherlands around 1625 and came into Swedish hands in 1628 when the City of Kalmar bought it for its protection. The ship carries the name of the City. Kalmar City is located on the Swedish east coast in the Småland province. To the right is an image of Kalmar Castle, Kalmar City. Photo Hans Högman, 2011. The Kalmare Nyckel made in total four voyages across the Atlantic, more than any contemporary ship. A modern replica of the Kalmare Nyckel was launched in September 1997 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. The replica is constructed to resemble the original ship as closely as possible but without exact details about the ship much have been guesswork. Length 93 feet (28 m) (on deck), width 25 feet (7.6 m). Draft 12 feet 5 inches (3.78 m). Fågel Grip There is not much known information about Fågel Grip (The Griffin Bird). The ship was built in the beginning of the 17th century in the Netherlands and was a full-rigged pinnace with a length of circa 30 m. She was acquired in 1636/37 by the Ship Company (Skeppskompaniet) which was later consolidated with the South Company (Söderkompaniet). The ships' names in Swedish Names in English Kalmare Nyckel Key of Kalmar Fågel Grip The Griffin Bird Svanen The Swan Kattan The Cat Gyllene Hajen The Golden Shark Örnen The Eagle Mercurius The Mercury

Swedish X-joint Log Houses

The traditional Swedish log house became a model for many settlers’ dwellings in America. The X-joint log house building technique was brought to America by Swedish settlers in the middle of the 17th century. The first X-joint log houses in America were built in New Sweden (possessed by Sweden between 1638 and 1655), the Swedish colony along both banks of the Delaware River into modern Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The craft was quickly adopted by other colonists and settlers. In the centuries that followed, the log cabin spread out from the Delaware Valley when German, English, Scots-Irish, Scandinavian, and other Pennsylvania colonists migrated westward. The Swedish log houses became a model for the frontier style log cabin. Very few examples of New Sweden's homes remain today. More about Swedish X-joint log houses.

Church of Sweden, a Lutheran Church

Before the Reformation engulfed northern Europe, Sweden was a Roman Catholic country like most countries in Europe. The German theologian Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) started in 1517 the Reformation that divided the Roman Catholic Church. The division resulted in a Protestant church movement dominated by Luther's followers who were called Lutherans and their Church became the Lutheran Church. In Sweden, King Gustav Vasa proclaimed in 1527 Sweden to be a Protestant nation with a Lutheran Church. At the parliament meeting in Västerås in 1544, Sweden was proclaimed an evangelical kingdom with the King as Head of the Church. The first church law after the Reformation was adopted in 1686 under the reign of King Karl XI. It defined Sweden as an evangelical nation and required Swedes to confess the evangelical faith and the Roman Catholic Church was banned in Sweden. More about the Church of Sweden.

Quakers

Quakers or Friends, are members of a family of religious movements which are collectively known as the Religious Society of Friends founded circa 1650 in England by George Fox. The first Quakers, known as the Valiant-Sixty, lived in mid-17th century England. The movement arose from the Legatine-Arians and other dissenting Protestant groups, breaking away from the established Church of England. They based their message on the religious belief that "Christ has come to teach his people himself," stressing the importance of a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and a direct religious belief in the universal priesthood of all believers. Quakerism gained a considerable following, and the numbers increased to a peak of 60,000 in England and Wales by 1680. In search of economic opportunities and a more tolerant environment in which to build communities of “holy conversation,” some Friends emigrated to the Northeastern region of the United States in the early 1680s. While in some areas such as New England they continued to experience persecution, they were able to establish thriving communities in the Delaware Valley. Pennsylvania was established by affluent Quaker William Penn in 1681, and as an American state run under Quaker principles. Page 1 about New Sweden

Source References

• Känn ditt land, Nr 8 Utvandringen, Ralph Scander, STF • Wikipedia • Nationalencyklopedin, NE • När Sverige blev stormakt, Historien om Sverige, Herman Lindqvist, 1994 • Ofredsår, Peter Englund, 1993 Top of page

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Map, Sweden's Territory at the end of the 1600's

The Swedish Joint Partners in the New Sweden Company

Count Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre

Count (Greve) Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre (1583 - 1654), a member of the Council of the Realm (Riksrådet) and the Chancellor (Rikskansler). Axel Oxenstierna was from 1612 the closest adviser to King Gustav II Adolf for a very long time. After the death of the King in the battle of Lützen in 1632 Chancellor Oxenstierna in reality was the regent, since Queen Christina was under age (only six years old). Riksrådet was an assembly of royal advisers and the Rikskansler the chairman of the assembly. The Chancellor of the Realm (Rikskansler) conducted among other things the diplomatic negotiations with other countries and the position of Rikskansler was in a way the forerunner to today’s Secretary of State (utrikesminister).

Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna

Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna (1587 - 1640), a brother to Axel Oxenstierna. Appointed member of the Council of the Realm (Riksrådet) and Marshal of the Court (Hovmarskalk) in 1617. In 1634 he was chosen Seneschal (Riksdrots) and thereby the most prominent in the Government. Hovmarskalk was the title and position of a higher ranked Government official and the official in the Royal Household (Hovstaten) responsible for assisting the King with the Royal Household. Riksdrots was the highest office next to the King. When the King was under age the Seneschal was the acting deputy and carried on the King’s juridical and executing power. The Seneschal was also in charge of the judicial system.

Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna af Korsholm and Wasa

Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna af Korsholm and Wasa (1586 - 1656) was a first cousin of the two brothers, Axel and Gabriel Oxenstierna above. He was chosen member of the Council of the Realm (Riksråd) in 1617 and promoted Colonel of the Armory (Överste Tygmästare). In 1621 he, like his two cousins, was appointed members of the Government in the absence of the King (who was with the army in war). Garbriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna was in 1627 appointed judge of appeal (Hovrättsråd). Between 1612 and 1619 the Swedish General Governor to Estonia and between 1631 and 1633 the Governor to Finland. He is from 1634 Treasurer of the Realm (Riksskattemästare) in the Regency Government of Queen Christina. In 1654 he was appointed Admiral of the Fleet (Riksamiral).

Clas Larsson Flemming

Clas Larsson Flemming (1592 - 1644) admiral 1620, member of the Council of the Realm (Riksråd), 1634 Överståthållare (Governor) of Stockholm and one of the Swedish Navy’s best organizers throughout times. Överståthållare of Stockholm corresponded to County Governor (Landshövding) in the rest of Sweden.

Peter Spiring

Peter Spiring (1595 – 1652), a Dutch financier and a diplomat in Swedish service. He was also a member of the Council of the Realm (Riksråd) as the Treasure Councilor (Finansråd) under the lead of Oxenstierna. Spiring was raised to nobility in Sweden in 1636 with the noble name Silfvercrona. As the New Sweden Company’s representative Spiring was handling all contacts with the Dutch.

Contemporary Swedish Wars - 1600s

As we see below Sweden was fully occupied in wars during the epoch of New Sweden. This was a time when Sweden by force expanded in Europe and it was an achievement to establish a colony in North America during those circumstances. The wars were costly and many Swedish soldiers were needed in the wars. There was no possibility of spending any greater military resources in North America. The population of Sweden was small and the young men that might want to emigrate were needed in the many wars.

1600-1629

In war with Poland, "The Second Polish War". Sweden receives Livland including Riga City and Prussian ports.

1630-1648

The 30 Years' War in Germany. The war lasted between 1618 and 1640 but the Swedish participation was between 1630 and 1648. In the peace treaty Sweden received Vorpommern, parts of Hinterpommern plus Wismar, Bremen, Verden and the provinces Wildeshausen and Thedinghausen.

1643-1645

In war with Denmark, "The War of Torstensson". During the 30-year war, Sweden made an unexpected attack on Denmark. The attack was made from Germany. Peace on August 13, 1645 in Brömsebro. In the peace treaty Sweden received Halland on the west coast for 30 years plus permanently the provinces Jämtland, Härjedalen, the island Gotland and the island Ösel (in the Baltic region).

1654

In war with Bremen, "The First War with Bremen". In the peace treaty of Westfalen 1648 after the 30-year war Sweden obtained the City Bremen inclusive the county of Bremen in northern Germany.The peace treaty was signed in Stade on November 28, 1654. In the treaty Bremen honors the Swedish kings and accepts to follow the Swedish foreign policy. Sweden promises to protect the city and encourage the trade on Bremen.

1655

In war with the Netherlands in New Sweden, North America.

1655-1660

Krig med Polen, Tysk-romerska riket och Brandenburg, "Karl X Gustavs polska krig - freden i Oliva 1660". Ett av målen med kriget var att utvidga det svenska riket på Polens bekostnad. Fred i Oliva den 23 april 1660. Livland blir nu formellt svenskt område.

1656-1661

In war with Russia, "The Russian War of King Karl X Gustav". In the middle of the Swedish war with Poland, Russia declared war on Sweden. Sweden, which at the time were involved a war in Poland, tried to end the war with Russia as soon as possible. The peace treaty was signed on June 21, 1661 at the estate Kardis in the Lais parish. In the peace treaty Russia was to return all captured areas to Sweden. In the beginning of the negotiations the Russians were reluctant to return any areas to Sweden. The Swedes then gathered a force of 25,000 soldiers, which made the Russians more willing to accept the terms of the treaty.

1657-1658

In war with Denmark, "The First Danish War of King Karl X Gustav". On June 20 1657, when King Karl X Gustav and the Swedish Army was involved in a war in Poland, the King got information on Danish hostilities. Austria, Spain and the Netherlands had persuaded Denmark to attack Sweden. At this time Sweden was also involved in a war with Russia. On June 16, 1657 Denmark made an attack on Swedish Bremen in northern Germany. On June 23, the Swedish King left Poland with a force of 6,000 soldiers. The destination was Denmark. The force was small, but this was probably the best and most experienced soldiers at the time. The majority of these Swedish soldiers had participated in more than 30 battles. In Swedish Pommern more soldiers joined the force. The Danish army mostly consisted of fresh recruits and they were now about to meet the most efficient army at the time. About 12,000 Swedish soldiers were left in Poland to hold the positions. Soon, the Swedes had occupied Jutland. The Swedish army was soon close to Copenhagen, which they reached on February 15. The Danes were now ready for peace talks. Peace on February 26, 1658 in Roskilde. In the peace treaty Sweden received the Danish provinces; Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, Bohuslän, the island Bornholm and Trondheim county in today’s Norway. Halland became Swedish for a period of 30 years in the peace treaty of Brömsebro in 1645. Now it permanently became a Swedish province. Sweden now had natural borders in the south and on the west coast. In the peace treaty Denmark lost about 1/3 of its area.

1658-1660

In war with Denmark, "The Second Danish War of King Karl X Gustav". The Danes did everything they could to avoid fulfilling the agreements of the Roskilde peace treaty of February 1658. The Swedish King Karl X Gustav got furious and wanted to settle this once and for all. The peace treaty was signed in Copenhagen on May 27, 1660. Sweden was to return the Trondheim County in Norway and the island of Bornholm to Denmark. More information about the wars

Made with Xara

Former Swedish Colonies -

New Sweden (2)

The New Sweden Colony in North

America 1638 - 1655 (2)

The Expeditions to New Sweden

A total of eleven expeditions were sent from Sweden between 1638 and 1655 to the New Sweden Colony. One other was sent after the colony had fallen into the hands of the Dutch but before the message had reached Sweden. The Colonizers came from all over of Sweden. The first emigrants were convicted felons that had been offered a choice between imprisonment in Sweden or emigration to New Sweden where they had to stay at least five years. Emigrants later were voluntary emigrants most of all from Western Sweden, Dalarna, Jämtland, Värmland and Ångermanland. A large group of colonizers were the so-called Forest Finns or as they also were called svedjefinnar derived from the technique of burn-beating used when they broke new land in Sweden. The share of Swedes with Finnish origin in New Sweden was in 1655 circa 22% but the share was later increased. The compilation below is from Wikepedia. What’s missing at Wikipedia is the Kalmare Nyckel’s fourth voyage in the spring of 1644 together with the Fama.

Exp. is expedition. Outbound is the date when the ships departed Gothenburg, Sweden. Homebound is the date when the ships set sail at the Delaware River.

The Kingdom of Sweden in the

17th Century

The 17th century was an era when the Realm of Sweden expanded its borders in Europe by force. The many ongoing wars cost a fortune and many soldiers were needed in the army. The population of Sweden was small; in the middle of the 17th century Sweden only counted about 1,220,000 inhabitants. At this time Sweden had a system of involuntary conscription and the young men were either needed in the Army or for farming producing food. Sweden possessed land on both sides of the Baltic Sea (Östersjön), so the sea was more or less a Swedish inland sea. The new Swedish provinces abroad also needed troops for protection. See a Map of Sweden from end of the 17th century Sweden was an aristocratic country where nobility was a class with special privileges. To reach any higher positions within civil administration or the military you needed to be of noble birth. This was also a period when the wealth of the nobility greatly grew. Great castles and manors were built by the aristocrats. They were also granted land and property by the crown, especially after the 30-Years' War. The nobility were also exempted from certain taxation. Despite the large landowners Sweden never had a feudal system (unlike other European countries) with serf peasants. The Swedish peasantry was free and independent.

New Constitution in 1634

Län

The Army

Swedish Finland

Swedish interest for the land east of the Gulf of Bothnia began early. During the Viking era, 800 – 900, a Swedish colonization began on the northern shores of Gulf of Finland. During the 12th century there was a Swedish expansion to the east. In the middle and at the end of the 13th century we know there were Swedish crusades to Finland. Strongholds were constructed for the protection of the captured land; such as the castles at Åbo, Tavastehus and Vyborg (east of the Gulf of Finland). The political plan was to control Russian trade. In the peace treaty between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia) in 1323 the Swedish eastern border with Russia was established. The western and southern parts of Finland became Swedish while Russia gained the eastern parts. Finland now became a fully consolidated part of Sweden and was under the same political and juridical administration as the rest of Sweden. Finland was never a “nation” under Swedish rule but one of four Swedish regions or "lands" (landsdelar); Svealand, Götaland, Norrland and Finland. However, the northern part of today’s Finland was before 1809 a part of Norrland, not Finland. An ancient name of the land Finland is "Österland" (Eastlands). Swedish-speaking colonists settled down in the coastal regions of Finland. In 1362 the Finns received the right to send representatives to the elections of Kings and in the 1500’s this right was extended to also send representatives to the Swedish Parliament. Swedish was the primary language used in administration, jurisdiction and higher education. The images shows Sweden’s territory in the 1600s. Forest Finns: There was an extensive migration of Finns to the Swedish half of the nation (present Sweden) from the 1580’s to the beginning of the 1600’s. About 40,000 Finnish forest farmers then settled down in the large forest regions from Värmland in the mid- west up to Medelpad and Ångermanland in southern Norrland. They were called “svedjefinnar” or “skogsfinnar” (Forest Finns) in Swedish. The term “svedje-finnar” comes from the technique of braking forest land into farmland through slash-and-burn, used by these Finns. The term in Swedish is "svedjebruk". Slash-and-burn means that the forest is cut down and set to fire whereupon the ashes are evenly spread on the ground. The burnt area is then sowed with seed, usually rye. However, the richness of the burnt land only lasts for a few years. So, every two or three years the Forest Finns moved to new forests and had to start all over. It takes about 25 years for a forest to grow up so the Forest Finns were always on the move. The slash-and- burn technique needs large forest regions according to a Royal promulgation. The reason for the migration of Finns was the lack of fresh forests, the so-called ”Klubbekriget” (The Cudgel War), 1596 - 1597, and the Swedish Crown's interest of having the vast forest regions of central Sweden broken into farmland. The Forest Finns were therefore exempted from taxation during their first years of slash-and-burn in Sweden. Prior to the Finnish migration to these areas only the river valleys, lands around lakes etc were farmland. However, as slash-and-burn farming went on, large forest areas were lost and the Crown began to hold back the Forest Finns’ farming mainly because of conflicting interests. The growing Swedish mining industry and ironworks needed a large number of forests for charcoal making. Slashing-and-burning was therefore prohibited by regulations in 1647 and 1664. The ban on Slashing-and-burning wasn’t a total ban; it could continue to some extent. The regulation of 1647 came at the time of the Swedish colonization of North America and contributed to the emigration of Forest Finns. The Forest Finns learned the Swedish language and became bilingual; however they kept their cultural characters and the Finnish language. The origin of the name Finland is not really known. Finland is Suomi in Finnish. Many regiments were established in the Finnish half of Sweden during the Swedish ”Great Power Period”, both infantry and cavalry. The soldiers in the regiments in Finland were Finnish, while the majority of the officers came from the western half of Sweden. The military command language was Swedish. There was a reason for this. When a soldier or an officer was transferred to another regiment they had to understand the commands independent of where in Sweden the regiment was established. The Finns were very able and loyal soldiers of the Swedish Army. Swedish Finland was lost to Russia after a war which ended in 1809. In the peace treaty it wasn’t a “Finland” that was signed over to Russia but six provinces, the Åland Islands and a part of Västerbotten province in northern Sweden. The modern definition of Finland didn’t arise until it was parted from Sweden and became the Grand Duchy Finland (Storfurstendömet Finland) under the Russian rule. Finland became an independent nation in 1917. In 1809, when Finland was conquered by the Russians the Swedish language remained the only official language. In 1863, both Finnish and Swedish become official national languages in Finland with equal status. Finland has since then been a bilingual country with a Swedish-speaking minority living mostly in the coastal areas of southern, south-western, and western Finland. So, the emigrating Finns from Sweden to North America in the middle of the 1600's were Swedish citizens even if they were also an ethnical group of their own.

Swedish Monarchs at the time of the New

Sweden Company and New Sweden

Explanations

The Ships

Swedish X-joint Log Houses

Church of Sweden, a Lutheran Church

Quakers

Source References

Map, Sweden's Territory at the end

of the 1600's

The Swedish Joint Partners in the

New Sweden Company

Count Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af

Södermöre

Baron Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna

Count Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna af

Korsholm and Wasa