Scandinavian colonies that FAILED

***Jonathan*** · 08-28-2003, 05:46 PM

While many European countries got themselves many colonies all over the globe, the Scandinavian countries had some difficulties in colonizing new lands. Here is some information on how the Scandinavian colonies FAILED

Sweden tried to get some colonies in the New World. In the 17th century, Dutch and Swedish settlers founded a colony in Delaware, but after a few years the Dutch withdraw and the colony became completely Swedish.
But things didn't go well for the Swedish colony, and eventually the Dutch came back and conquered it.
Delaware - New Sweden

In the late 18th century, the Swedish king Gustav III managed to buy the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy from France. A city, named Gustavia after the king, was built and the streets were given Swedish names. They still have the same Swedish names today.
During the 19th century, the island stopped generating money and the Swedish king wanted to get rid of it. After a referendum of whether the inhabitants of Saint Barthélemy wanted to belong to Sweden or France, only one person voted for Sweden

. And so, Sweden's last colony was sold back to France.
Saint Barthélemy

In the beginning of the 20th century, the Norwegians got into colonisation too. In fact, they tried to colonize the big Caribbean island of - Cuba

But since the Norwegian settlers were not familiar with the Spanish language and couldn't stand the climate and the heavy storms, the settlers all abandoned Cuba after only a few years.
The Norwegian Cuba adventure

Denmark had colonized a few islands in the West Indies, but after a referendum the islands were ceded to the US. These are now the US Virgin Islands.
Danish West Indies

At least the Scandinavian nations didn't fail all of their attempts of colonizing new lands and keep them. Norway claimed the small island of Bouvetøya in the South Atlantic, and managed to gain souvereignity over the islands of Svalbard history and Jan Mayen in the Arctic Sea.
Denmark still has a little power left over it's oldest 'colonies', the Faroe Islands north of Scotland and the world's largest island; Greenland east of Canada. Both islands have home rule, but they are still under the Danish crown.
Sweden doesn't have any colonies left though

Shadowfax · 08-29-2003, 01:06 AM

Hm, that's interesting! I didn't know about any of those except Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Elvellon · 08-30-2003, 02:15 PM

But are the Greenland and the Faroe Islands considered colonies? Or just autonomous regions?

Dúnedain · 08-30-2003, 02:18 PM

You're forgetting one of the biggest ones. New Amsterdam aka New York...

***Jonathan*** · 08-30-2003, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elvellon
But are the Greenland and the Faroe Islands considered colonies? Or just autonomous regions?

Yes they are. That is why I said they were Denmark's oldest 'colonies' (within ' ') and not colonies

Quote:

Originally posted by Dúnedain
You're forgetting one of the biggest ones. New Amsterdam aka New York...

New Amsterdam was Dutch, not Scandinavian.

jerseydevil · 08-30-2003, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonathan
New Amsterdam was Dutch, not Scandinavian.

Yes - new Amsterdam was Dutch - but you forgot about the New Jersey colony. Southern New Jersey was colonized by Swedes - we even have many towns which have Swedish names - such as Swedesboro...

Quote:

Swedesboro, Gloucester County

Swedish farmers settled along raccoon Creek in the mid 17th century, and Swedesboro, first known as Raccoon, was for many years the Swedish center of the area. It later became a transportation center for the surrounding agricultural region. Trinity Episcopal Old Swedes Church, familiarly knowns as Old Swedes, is the oldest deeded church property in Gloucester County and was the first Lutheran congregation in the state (it became Episcopal in 1786 when the Swedes stopped sending ministers to thethe colonies).

From - New Jersey: A Guide to the State

***Jonathan*** · 08-30-2003, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerseydevil
but you forgot about the New Jersey colony. Southern New Jersey was colonized by Swedes - we even have many towns which have Swedish names - such as Swedesboro...

I didn't forget about that. It's just that the Swedish settlements in southern New Jersey were counted to the Swedish Delaware colony, which I mentioned

jerseydevil · 08-30-2003, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonathan
I didn't forget about that. It's just that the Swedish settlements in southern New Jersey were counted to the Swedish Delaware colony, which I mentioned

Yes I know - but we're not Delaware - just like we are not New York and we are not Philadelphia or Pennsylavania.

Ruinel · 09-15-2003, 12:04 AM

Interesting, Jonathan. I had no idea. America was formed by colonies of people from all over Europe, but I did not know about Delaware.

JD, was southern New Jersey actually owned by Sweden? I think that's what Jonathan was getting at. Not just colonized, but actually owned. Or am I wrong?

***Jonathan*** · 09-15-2003, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ruinel
JD, was southern New Jersey actually owned by Sweden? I think that's what Jonathan was getting at. Not just colonized, but actually owned. Or am I wrong?

Yes, it was Swedish soil under the Swedish crown.

jerseydevil · 09-18-2003, 02:35 AM

So how does Sweden feel about it's failed attempts at colonialism? Also - why did the Scandinavian countries - particularly Sweden have such a hard time at it? So much of the US was founded by people who were being pursecuted for their religious beliefs (particularly in New England). Was it that the people of the Scandinavian countries had it better and didn't want to leave?

Most people think that the US was only settled by British, French and Spanish. They forget or have no idea about all the other countries like Sweden.

Ruinel · 09-18-2003, 12:39 PM

And Germany. Frederickburg, Texas is a famous German settlement here.

More importantly, I wonder why no one wanted to remain under the rule of Sweden? Some colonies actually voting not to be so. Maybe Sweden was a tyrant.

***Jonathan*** · 09-19-2003, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerseydevil
So how does Sweden feel about it's failed attempts at colonialism? Also - why did the Scandinavian countries - particularly Sweden have such a hard time at it? So much of the US was founded by people who were being pursecuted for their religious beliefs (particularly in New England). Was it that the people of the Scandinavian countries had it better and didn't want to leave?

We don't think much of the Swedish colonianism. We use to think of e.g England, France and the Netherlands as colonial powers and we generally don't have much knowledge of our own colonization. We just see it as a cool thing that some areas outside of Europe once belonged to the Swedish crown

.
It is not that people didn't leave Scandinavia. In times of poverty and famine we had millions of people emigrating to America. Many went to Minnesota, but Minnesota was never under Swedish rule.

Ruinel · 09-19-2003, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jonathan
...It is not that people didn't leave Scandinavia. In times of poverty and famine we had millions of people emigrating to America. Many went to Minnesota, but Minnesota was never under Swedish rule.

So that's why they have such a freakin' weird accent there. LOL

Yapaluna · 09-25-2003, 03:38 PM

Did St. Thomas also belong to the Danish West Indies or am I totally wrong?

***Jonathan*** · 09-26-2003, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Yapaluna
Did St. Thomas also belong to the Danish West Indies or am I totally wrong?

You are quite right. St. Thomas is one of the US Virgin Islands, which used to belong to Denmark.

08-28-2003, 05:46 PM	#1
*Jonathan* Entmoot Attorney-General, Equilibrating the Scales of Justice, Administrator ♎ Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 3,891	Scandinavian colonies that FAILED While many European countries got themselves many colonies all over the globe, the Scandinavian countries had some difficulties in colonizing new lands. Here is some information on how the Scandinavian colonies FAILED Sweden tried to get some colonies in the New World. In the 17th century, Dutch and Swedish settlers founded a colony in Delaware, but after a few years the Dutch withdraw and the colony became completely Swedish. But things didn't go well for the Swedish colony, and eventually the Dutch came back and conquered it. Delaware - New Sweden In the late 18th century, the Swedish king Gustav III managed to buy the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy from France. A city, named Gustavia after the king, was built and the streets were given Swedish names. They still have the same Swedish names today. During the 19th century, the island stopped generating money and the Swedish king wanted to get rid of it. After a referendum of whether the inhabitants of Saint Barthélemy wanted to belong to Sweden or France, only one person voted for Sweden . And so, Sweden's last colony was sold back to France. Saint Barthélemy In the beginning of the 20th century, the Norwegians got into colonisation too. In fact, they tried to colonize the big Caribbean island of - Cuba But since the Norwegian settlers were not familiar with the Spanish language and couldn't stand the climate and the heavy storms, the settlers all abandoned Cuba after only a few years. The Norwegian Cuba adventure Denmark had colonized a few islands in the West Indies, but after a referendum the islands were ceded to the US. These are now the US Virgin Islands. Danish West Indies At least the Scandinavian nations didn't fail all of their attempts of colonizing new lands and keep them. Norway claimed the small island of Bouvetøya in the South Atlantic, and managed to gain souvereignity over the islands of Svalbard history and Jan Mayen in the Arctic Sea. Denmark still has a little power left over it's oldest 'colonies', the Faroe Islands north of Scotland and the world's largest island; Greenland east of Canada. Both islands have home rule, but they are still under the Danish crown. Sweden doesn't have any colonies left though __________________ An unwritten post is a delightful universe of infinite possibilities. Set down one word, however, and it immediately becomes earthbound. Set down one sentence and it’s halfway to being just like every other bloody entry that’s ever been written. ☻

08-29-2003, 01:06 AM	#2
Shadowfax The Fleet-Footed Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: British Columbia Posts: 913	Hm, that's interesting! I didn't know about any of those except Greenland and the Faroe Islands. __________________ Jesus saved me "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child" (Cicero, 106-43 B.C.) "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth" (Picasso)

08-30-2003, 02:15 PM	#3
Elvellon Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lindon Posts: 637	But are the Greenland and the Faroe Islands considered colonies? Or just autonomous regions? __________________ **************************************** "None are more hoplessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Reality is just an illusion, albeit a very persistent one - Albert Einstein The Caffeine Mantra It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Brazil that the thoughts aquire speed, The hands aquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion... Elvellon Erelion

08-30-2003, 02:18 PM	#4
Dúnedain High King of Númenórë Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Númenórë <--United States of America Posts: 1,947	You're forgetting one of the biggest ones. New Amsterdam aka New York... __________________ 'Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!' - And those were the words that Elendil spoke when he came up out of the Sea on the wings of the wind: 'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.' 'Then Tuor arrayed himself in the hauberk, and set the helm upon his head, and he girt himself with the sword; black were sheath and belt with clasps of silver. Thus armed he went forth from Turgon's hall, and stood upon the high terraces of Taras in the red light of the sun. None were there to see him, as he gazed westward, gleaming in silver and gold, and he knew not that in that hour he appeared as one of the Mighty of the West, and fit to be father of the kings of the Kings of Men beyond the Sea, as it was indeed his doom to be; but in the taking of those arms a change came upon Tuor son of Huor, and his heart grew great within him. And as he stepped down from the doors the swans did him reverence, and plucking each a great feather from their wings they proffered them to him, laying their long necks upon the stone before his feet; and he took the seven feathers and set them in the crest of his helm, and straightway the swans arose and flew north in the sunset, and Tuor saw them no more.' -Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin "Oh. Forgive me, fairest of all males of Entmoot...Back down, all ye other wannabe fairest males! Dunedain is the fairest!" --Linaewen

09-18-2003, 02:35 AM	#11
jerseydevil I am Freddie/UNDERCOVER/ Founder of The Great Continent of Entmoot Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Plainsboro, NJ Posts: 9,431	So how does Sweden feel about it's failed attempts at colonialism? Also - why did the Scandinavian countries - particularly Sweden have such a hard time at it? So much of the US was founded by people who were being pursecuted for their religious beliefs (particularly in New England). Was it that the people of the Scandinavian countries had it better and didn't want to leave? Most people think that the US was only settled by British, French and Spanish. They forget or have no idea about all the other countries like Sweden. __________________ Come back! Come back! To Mordor we will take you! "The only thing better than a great plan is implementing a great plan" - JerseyDevil "If everyone agreed with me all the time, everything would be just fine"- JerseyDevil AboutNewJersey.com New Jersey MessageBoard Another Tolkien Forum Memorial to the Twin Towers New Jersey Map Fellowship of the Messageboard Legend of the Jersey Devil Support New Jersey's Liberty Tower Peacefire.org AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

09-15-2003, 12:04 AM	#9
Ruinel Banned Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: I have no idea. Posts: 5,441	Interesting, Jonathan. I had no idea. America was formed by colonies of people from all over Europe, but I did not know about Delaware. JD, was southern New Jersey actually owned by Sweden? I think that's what Jonathan was getting at. Not just colonized, but actually owned. Or am I wrong?

09-18-2003, 12:39 PM	#12
Ruinel Banned Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: I have no idea. Posts: 5,441	And Germany. Frederickburg, Texas is a famous German settlement here. More importantly, I wonder why no one wanted to remain under the rule of Sweden? Some colonies actually voting not to be so. Maybe Sweden was a tyrant.

09-25-2003, 03:38 PM	#15
Yapaluna Enting Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Druxberge (about 500 inhabitants) near Magdeburg Posts: 73	Did St. Thomas also belong to the Danish West Indies or am I totally wrong?

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