Swedish overseas colonies
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Swedish overseas colonies Svenska kolonier (Swedish)
| |
---|---|
1638–1663 1733 1784–1878 | |
Motto: I Gud mitt hopp "In God my hope" | |
Anthem: Kungssången "Song of the king" | |
Capital | Stockholm |
Common languages | Official language: Swedish Regional languages: Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Russian, German |
Religion | Church of Sweden |
Government | Absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy |
History | |
• Established | 1638 |
• Disestablished | 1878 |
Population | |
• 1650 | 2,200,000 |
Currency | Riksdaler |
ISO 3166 code | SE |
Swedish overseas colonies (Swedish: Svenska utomeuropeiska kolonier) consisted of the overseas colonies controlled by Sweden. Sweden possessed overseas colonies from 1638 to 1663, in 1733 and from 1784 to 1878. Sweden possessed five colonies, four of which were short lived. The colonies spanned three continents: Africa, Asia and North America.
List
The former Swedish colonies in Africa were:
- Dutch) Including the Cape Coast(1649–1663) consisting of the following settlements:
- Fort Apollonia, presently Beyin: 1655–1657.
- Fort Christiansborg/Fort Frederiksborg, which became the capital, presently Osu: 1652–1658
- Butri: 1649–1656.
- Takoradi: 1653–1658.
- Carolusborg: April 1650 – January/February 1658, 10 December 1660 – 22 April 1663
The former Swedish colonies in the Americas:
- Dutch)
- Saint-Barthélemy)
- France)
The former Swedish colonies in Asia were:
- Parangipettai (1733; lost to the French and British East India Companies)
Americas
New Sweden
By the middle of the 17th century, the
The settlement was actually an invasion of
In May 1654, the Dutch Fort Casimir, located in present-day New Castle, Delaware, was captured by New Sweden. As a reprisal, the Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant sent an army to the Delaware River, which obtained the surrender of the Swedish forts.
Antillian possessions
As a result of Sweden's support of France's enemies during the
In addition to these the Swedes briefly attempted to settle Tobago in 1733, but were driven away by native tribes, and Tobago was eventually claimed by the British.[citation needed]
Saint Barthélemy
During the time of Sweden's colonisation of Africa's
However, the islands were close to the British and French trading posts of the Leeward and Windward islands. A new town was also constructed, Gustavia (named after the king), and this facilitated trade. Within a year, the population had doubled and the king saw fit to form the Swedish West India Company. The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) benefitted trade, as did the opening of free trade with Sweden in 1806; the population had continued to increase, reaching approximately 5000 by 1800. With the exception of a brief period of British occupation from 1801 to 1802, the colonies continued to grow. In 1811, 1800 ships visited Saint Barthélemy; and from October 1813 to September 1814, 20% of the U.S.'s exports passed through the island.[1]
The island was notable for its
Africa
Sweden temporarily controlled several settlements on the Gold Coast (present Ghana) since 22 April 1650, but lost the last when on 20 April 1663 Fort Carlsborg and the capital Fort Christiansborg were seized by Denmark.
Cape Coast
In 1652, the Swedes took
India
The Swedish East India Company did not establish any permanent colonies in India, but they briefly possessed a factory in Porto Novo (today Parangipettai, Tamil Nadu). The fort was destroyed a month after its construction by French and British forces.[2]
See also
- Swedish colonization of the Americas
- Swedish Empire
- Swedish East India Company
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-01227-0.
- ISBN 9789174333077.
Sources
External links
Media related to Swedish colonial empire at Wikimedia Commons
- Wetaskiwin local heritage – Swedish settlers
- Mémoire St Barth | History of St Barthélemy (archives & history of slavery, slave trade and their abolition)[permanent dead link] – Comité de Liaison et d'Application des Sources Historiques