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17 - History of Iceland by Knut Gjerset · History of Iceland

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fifteen of History of Iceland by Canute the year set.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Commerce with
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  Speaker 1: Iceland during the Napoleonic Wars the adventurer Jorgans Jorgensen improvement
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  Speaker 1: of economic conditions after eighteen fourteen. The unfortunate economic conditions
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: in Iceland, which had prevailed throughout the greater part of
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the period of trade monopoly, did not improve much during
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  Speaker 1: the first decades of the nineteenth century. The Napoleonic Wars,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: which gradually paralyzed commerce and all peaceful pursuits, brought distress
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: and ruin also upon the maritime neutral nations. One by one,
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  Speaker 1: the continental powers had been defeated. Finally, England alone stood
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  Speaker 1: abay in a determined struggle against the victorious Emperor. To
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  Speaker 1: crush this implacable enemy by an attack on her commerce
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: now became his aim. In eighteen o six he issued
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  Speaker 1: his noted Berlin Decree declaring the British Isles in a
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  Speaker 1: state of blockade, forbidding all trade with England, not only
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  Speaker 1: in France, but in all parts of Europe over which
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  Speaker 1: he exercised authority, including the Netherlands, Western Germany, Prussia and Italy.
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  Speaker 1: After the Treaty of till in eighteen oh seven, he
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  Speaker 1: also subjected Russia to this continental system. In that year,
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  Speaker 1: he issued a new decree from Milan threatening to seize
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  Speaker 1: all ships which touched a British port. The English retaliated
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  Speaker 1: by orders in Council declaring the ports of France and
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  Speaker 1: her allies to be in a state of blockade, but
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  Speaker 1: allowing neutral vessels to carry on trade between these ports
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  Speaker 1: in Great Britain. For the Kingdom of Denmark Norway, the
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  Speaker 1: situation became more critical as the biddle ofs of war
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  Speaker 1: rode ever closer to the Danish border. It seems to
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  Speaker 1: have been the purpose of the Danish king to preserve
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  Speaker 1: neutrality as long as possible, but to cast a lot
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  Speaker 1: with the English if finally forced into the struggle, for
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: it became evident that a rupture with one or the
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  Speaker 1: other of the belligerents could not long be averted, even
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  Speaker 1: by the most watchful prudence. After the Peace of Tilsit,
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  Speaker 1: Napoleon succeeded in winning to his side Emperor Alexander the
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  Speaker 1: First of Russia. Alexander promised to attempt to negotiate a
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  Speaker 1: peace between France and England, but if the English government
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  Speaker 1: should refuse the terms offered by the two emperors, he
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  Speaker 1: agreed that Russia should join France. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and
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  Speaker 1: Portugal would be requested to close their ports to British commerce,
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  Speaker 1: and if they refused, they were to be treated as enemies.
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  Speaker 1: By this stroke, Napoleon shattered the policy of neutrality, foreseeing
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  Speaker 1: the smaller nations to choose sides in the conflict. The
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  Speaker 1: news of the alliance between France and Russia caused the
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  Speaker 1: greatest alarm everywhere, not least in England. The English government
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  Speaker 1: imagined that Denmark Norway was a secret partner to the compact,
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  Speaker 1: and without even taking the time to investigate the real
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  Speaker 1: state of affairs, dispatched a large fleet to Copenhagen. An
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  Speaker 1: English ambassador submitted to the Danish government and ultimatum that
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  Speaker 1: as a guarantee that Denmark would be the ally of England,
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  Speaker 1: the Danish fleet should be handed over to the British
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  Speaker 1: for the period of the war. When this was refused,
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  Speaker 1: a battle ensued. Copenhagen was bombarded and after a severe engagement,
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  Speaker 1: the Danish fleet had to surrender to the English. This
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  Speaker 1: unexpected turn of events forced Denmark Norway to join France.
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  Speaker 1: The blockade of the Danish Norwegian coasts resulting from the
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  Speaker 1: war with England, brought upon the whole North a period
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  Speaker 1: of intense suffering. Danish trade with Iceland was wholly interrupted,
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  Speaker 1: and as a failure of crops further increased the economic
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  Speaker 1: difficulties of the Icelanders. A shortage of the necessaries of life.
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  Speaker 1: He was soon very keenly felt. Often the most important
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  Speaker 1: commodities like salt, iron, tar, lumber and staple articles of
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  Speaker 1: food could not be obtained. People tried to use seawater
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  Speaker 1: instead of salt. They made stirrups and horseshoes of horn
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  Speaker 1: fish lines from rope and buried there dead without coffins.
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  Speaker 1: Anyi and Norwegian vessels were seized by the English. A
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  Speaker 1: ship sailing from Iceland with many passengers, among whom was
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  Speaker 1: the Chief Justice, Magnus Stevenson, not knowing that war existed
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  Speaker 1: between England and Denmark Norway, was captured by the British
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  Speaker 1: and the passengers were brought to Scotland. Another vessel carrying
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  Speaker 1: the Icelandic stip dam to Mather count tramp with seas
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  Speaker 1: near the coast of sealand but the stip den Mather
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  Speaker 1: was allowed to proceed to Copenhagen. Magnus Stevenson was also
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  Speaker 1: allowed to go to Denmark. In the fall. In Scotland
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  Speaker 1: he had become acquainted with the English Privy Councilor Sir
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  Speaker 1: Joseph Banks, with whose assistance he was able to secure
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  Speaker 1: the liberation of the other Icelandic captives in England, and
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  Speaker 1: also to prevail on the English government to allow free
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  Speaker 1: intercourse with Iceland. During the war, the British privateers, which
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  Speaker 1: swarmed everywhere upon the seas, also visited the coast of Iceland.
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  Speaker 1: In eighteen o eight, the vessel Salomine, commanded by Thomas Gilpin,
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  Speaker 1: came to Iceland to seize the royal treasury in keeping
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  Speaker 1: of the actings tem to mayther isleif heinersen. The money,
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  Speaker 1: amounting to thirty five one hundred and fifty eight riggs
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  Speaker 1: bank dollar was taken by Gilpin and his band. The
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  Speaker 1: paper money, which they considered of little value, they compelled
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  Speaker 1: the merchants to take in exchange for coin. The house
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  Speaker 1: of the former stipp tem mayther Olaf Stephenson was plundered. Likewise,
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  Speaker 1: also the shop of the goldsmith Thorgrim Thomason, and other
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: acts of depredation were committed. Gilpin said to England with
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  Speaker 1: his booty, but the English authorities did not consider his
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  Speaker 1: conduct against an unprotected and defensive people justified by the
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: existing state of war, and most of the treasures were returned.
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  Speaker 1: In the winter eighteen o eight two nine, Magnus Stevenson
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  Speaker 1: went to Bergen, Norway, where he prevailed on some private
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  Speaker 1: citizens to send the ship Providentia to Iceland with supplies.
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  Speaker 1: On February three, eighteen o nine, royal orders were issued
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  Speaker 1: that four cargoes of provisions should be sent to Iceland,
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  Speaker 1: but it appears that no ship was sent. Stevenson returned
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  Speaker 1: to Iceland in the spring of that year. Count Tramp
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  Speaker 1: the Stiptam Mathler had bought the ship Orion and dispatched
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  Speaker 1: it to Iceland with the cargo, but it was damaged
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  Speaker 1: on the coast of Norway and the cargo was sold. Finally,
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: in the spring of eighteen o nine, the ship reached
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  Speaker 1: Iceland with Tramp on board. Under these circumstances, the English
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  Speaker 1: merchants found an opportunity to gain control of the Icelandic trade.
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  Speaker 1: According to the Danish laws, the Icelanders were still forbidden
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  Speaker 1: to trade with foreigners, but as the Danish merchants could
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  Speaker 1: no longer supply them with the necessaries, they had no
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  Speaker 1: alternative but to buy from the English if they were
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  Speaker 1: to escape starvation. When English merchantmen attempted to trade with
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  Speaker 1: the people to stip them, Metherur forbade all intercourse with
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  Speaker 1: the King's enemies, but when English armed vessels arrived, he
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: was soon forced to desist from his opposition. It seems
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  Speaker 1: to have been the plan of the English merchants to
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  Speaker 1: establish complete control over the Icelandic trade, an effort in
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: which they resorted to arbitrary and even violent methods. In
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  Speaker 1: eighteen o nine, an English armed vessel, the Clarence, owned
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  Speaker 1: by Samuel Phelps of London and commanded by Captain George Jackson,
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  Speaker 1: entered the harbor of Half North Jord to trade with
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  Speaker 1: the people. On board was also the Danish adventurer Jorgensen,
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  Speaker 1: who acted as interpreter. When the government officials refused to
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  Speaker 1: grant them permission to trade. The captains readen to bombard
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  Speaker 1: the town of Reikievik if they persisted in their opposition.
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  Speaker 1: As the authorities lacked all means of resisting such an attack.
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  Speaker 1: They finally entered into an agreement with the British traders,
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  Speaker 1: granting them permission to trade if they stained from all
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  Speaker 1: violent acts. The merchants then sailed to Reikievik and loaded
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  Speaker 1: their cargo, rented buildings, and began trade. On March twenty two,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen o nine, the Clarence returned to England, but James
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  Speaker 1: Savignak remained in Iceland to manage the new commercial enterprise there.
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  Speaker 1: In June, the Stiptam Mather Tramp returned to Iceland with
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  Speaker 1: unrestricted power as the governor of the island. He had
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  Speaker 1: also bought the houses which the English merchants had rented
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  Speaker 1: in Rekievik. A violent clash between Tramp and the merchants
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  Speaker 1: shortly after his return can be explained only by assuming that,
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: as representative of the Danish government with plenary power, he
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  Speaker 1: undertook to drive the English from Iceland. Not long after
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  Speaker 1: his arrival, in English man of war, the Rover, commanded
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  Speaker 1: by Captain and Not, came to Reykievik. Negotiations were entered
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  Speaker 1: into with the count and an agreement was made to
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  Speaker 1: establish freedom of trade for all English merchants in Iceland.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: After the departure of the man of war and armed
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: English merchantmen, the Marguerite and Anne, commanded by Captain John Liston, arrived,
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  Speaker 1: bringing Samuel Phelps himself, the chief promoter of the Icelandic
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  Speaker 1: trading enterprise. Phelps was accompanied by Jorgen Jorgensen, who was
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  Speaker 1: again serving as interpreter. After a short stay in the harbor,
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  Speaker 1: Captain Liston and Samuel Phelps, accompanied by James Savignyuk, Jorgen
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  Speaker 1: Jorgensen and a band of armed men, marched to the
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  Speaker 1: residence of the stipptam Mather Tramp, took him prisoner and
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  Speaker 1: brought him on board the ship. They also seized his
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  Speaker 1: ship o'rhin and hoisted the English flag on it. On
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  Speaker 1: June twenty sixth a proclamation posted in reykievic bearing the
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  Speaker 1: signature of Jorgen Jorgensen, stated that all Danish authority in
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  Speaker 1: Iceland had ceased. All businessmen in a fie should remain
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  Speaker 1: quietly in their homes and not show themselves on the streets.
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  Speaker 1: All powder and firearms were to be surrendered, Likewise, the
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  Speaker 1: keys to all storehouses, together with books and accounts. All
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  Speaker 1: native born people would have nothing to fear if they
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  Speaker 1: remained quiet, but anyone who failed to obey these instructions
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  Speaker 1: would be tried by a court martial, and if guilty,
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  Speaker 1: would be shot within two hours. A second proclamation bearing
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  Speaker 1: the same date and signature declared that Iceland was now
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  Speaker 1: free from Aanish rule. Icelandic officials, who would behave properly
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  Speaker 1: in perform their official duties well would be held in
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  Speaker 1: the highest esteem. Pensions would be paid to the widows
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  Speaker 1: and orphans of officials. A national Icelandic government was to
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  Speaker 1: be established, as well as Icelandic laws, such as they
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  Speaker 1: had been at the time when Iceland was united with Norway.
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  Speaker 1: Trial by juries should also be established. Iceland should have
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  Speaker 1: its own flag and should be at peace with the
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  Speaker 1: whole world under the protection of Great Britain. The schools
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  Speaker 1: and hosps hospittles would be improved. All debts to Denmark
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  Speaker 1: or the Danish merchant should be canceled, prices on grain lowered,
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  Speaker 1: taxes reduced to one half, and all intercourse with Denmark
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  Speaker 1: was to be prohibited. There can be no doubt that
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  Speaker 1: in these affairs Jorgensen acted as the duol and agent
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  Speaker 1: of the English merchants. The leading men regarded it as
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  Speaker 1: treason to support him, but the people were unarmed and defenseless,
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  Speaker 1: and since the state of war existed and no aid
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  Speaker 1: could be expected from Denmark, he was considered prudent to
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  Speaker 1: act cautiously and await developments, especially since it was thought
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: that the King of England had sent the usurpers to
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  Speaker 1: seize Iceland. Jorgenson surrounded himself with a body of vagrants
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  Speaker 1: whom he called guards, and imprisoned several leading officials. Some
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  Speaker 1: resolute men would not watch quietly the treasonable farce enacted
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  Speaker 1: by Jorgensen and his followers. Among these are Judge Islif Heinersen.
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  Speaker 1: He made preparations to resist the usurper, but his plan
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  Speaker 1: was divulged and he was thrown into prison. On July twelve,
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  Speaker 1: Jurgensen posted a new proclamation in Reykievic announcing that he
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: had assumed the management of public affairs as the country's protector,
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  Speaker 1: and that the military forces had appointed him commander both
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  Speaker 1: on land and sea. The country's flags should be three
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  Speaker 1: white codfish on a blue field, and he would defend
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  Speaker 1: it with his life and blood. His own seal should
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: be used until the people's representatives could decide regarding a
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  Speaker 1: permanent seal for the country. All officials should pledge their
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  Speaker 1: obedience to the new government before July twenty. Those who
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  Speaker 1: would not misubmit would be treated as traitors. A system
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  Speaker 1: of defense for the country was also to be created.
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  Speaker 1: Englishmen should have the right to trade and to establish
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: residents in Iceland. As the country's protector on land and sea,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: he assumed a title of Excellency, but promised to surrender
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  Speaker 1: his office July one, the following year, after a constituent
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: Assembly had established a new government. The same day that
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  Speaker 1: this brought cclamation was posted. The Icelandic flag was hoisted
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: over the building occupied by the English traders and was
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  Speaker 1: saluted by the Margaret and Nan from the harbor. Judge
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  Speaker 1: Islif Anderson was released from prisoner was soon installed in
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  Speaker 1: his former office. A new stipp tam Benedict Grendahl, was appointed,
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: and work was also begun to construct fortifications at Arna Hall,
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: where guns were to be mounted. After making these arrangements,
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Jorgensen marched to northern Iceland with a few armed followers
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: to seize the property of the Danish merchants. He met
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: with no serious opposition, but the ill will of the
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: people was everywhere apparent. Anna's return to Raikievic, he received
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: a letter from Jan Goodmunsen ciss Lou Mather in skah
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: to feel Lislah, declaring that he and his followers would
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: be treated as outlaws if they appeared east of the Yokus.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: The redoubts that Arnahol were completed, and a few rusty
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: guns were mounted on the works. A few officials had
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: been forced to yield obedience to the usurper, but it
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: was clear that the people as a whole regarded his
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: operations only as the deeds of a hostile adventurer. When
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: the english Man of War Talbot, commanded by Alexander Jones,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: arrived in the harbor of Reikievic August fourteen, events took
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: a new turn. The sailors of the warship began to
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: destroy the redoubts which had been erected, and threw the
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: canons into the sea. Negotiations were begun between Magnus Stevenson
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: and his brother, the Mpt. Mather Stephen Stephenson on the
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: one side, and Captain Alexander Jones and Samuel Phelps on
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: the other. On August twenty two, eighteen o nine, an
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: agreement was made according to which all the doings of
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Jorgensen should be considered null and void. The regular government
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: authority should be re established and the former officials reinstated
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: in their offices. The English should have rit to trade
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: and to reside in Iceland. According to the agreement already
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: entered into with Captain not of the Rover, all Danish
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: property and all valuables which had been seized should be
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: returned to their owners. Magnus Stevenson and his brother Stephen
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: Stephenson should have temporary charge of all public affairs. Magnus
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: was to supervise secular matters in Stephen of pertaining to
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: the church. The constructed redoubts were raised and Jorgensen was
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: retained on board the Marguerite and Count Tramp was not released,
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: but was to be carried to England as prisoner. The
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: following day, Magnus Stevenson and the land fu Getti Friy
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Diinsburg entertained Captain Jones and his men at a public
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: dinner in Reikievik. The same evening, the two vessels Marguerite
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: and Anne and the captured Orion set sail for England
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: with Jorgensen, Count Tramp and a number of imprisoned Danish
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: sailors on board. Phelps also sailed for England on the voyage.
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: The Marguerite, and loaded with train oil and tallow was
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: set on fire by some of the imprisoned sailors and burned.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: The people on board were rested by the Orion, which
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: brought them back to Reikievic. In this calamity, Jorgensen rendered
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: the most valuable service and won the admiration of all
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: for his courage. Count Tramp was now released and was
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: told that he could resume his former office, but as
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: he preferred to go to England, where he hoped to
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: get an indemnity from the English government, he was allowed
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: to take passage on the Talbot. On September four, both
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: the Talbot and the Orion set sail for England with Jorgensen,
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: Count Tramp and Samuel Phelps on board. Jorgen Jorgensen, the
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: son of highly respected parents, was born in Copenhagen in
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: seventeen eighty. At the university, he was a classmate of
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: the Danish poet oh Lenz Schlager and was known as
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: a gifted, but restless and adventurous character. Because of his
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: reckless conduct, he had to leave the university. He became
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: a sailor, spending several years, partly as whaler and partly
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: as explorer in the Pacific Ocean. In eighteen o six,
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: he returned home and became captain of a Danish privateer
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: in the war with England. In eighteen o seven, his
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: vessel was captured by an English warship and he was
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: brought to England as prisoner, but he was given his
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: freedom on the condition that he should not leave the country.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: He then entered into the service of the English merchants
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: as interpreter and accompanied them to Iceland. When he was
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: brought back to England by Captain Jones, he was thrown
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: into prison because he had broken his word not to
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: leave the country. In prison, he became acquainted with criminals
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: and became a confirmed candler. After many adventures, who was
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: finally deported to Tasmania, where he spent the rest of
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: his life as a member of various exploring expedition then
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: as policemen. He died at Hobertstown in eighteen forty four.
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: Magnus Stevenson attempted to arrange matters in the best way possible.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: After the departure of Jorgensen, he sought to secure an
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: indemnity for the money and valuables taken by the usurper
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: and his assistants, but did not succeed, as Jorgenson had
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: no property and Samuel Phelps went bankrupt. After his return
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: to London, Tramp was no more successful in obtaining an
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: indemnity from the English government. He soon returned to Denmark
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: and was made stiff Semmond of John Yems stiffed in
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: Norway between him and Magnus Stevenson. A bitter personal controversy
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: arose that Stevenson, in his negotiations with Captain Jones, had
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: not acted in a wholly unselfish way. Seems apparent it
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: would probably have been in his power to secure the
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: release of Tramp and to have him reinstated in his office,
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: if he had not himself coveted the highest position in Iceland.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: In eighteen ten, both Magnus Stevenson and his brother Stefan
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: were removed from the temporary management of affairs, and new
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: officials were appointed in their place. Among others, Judge Eisliff Heinerson,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: who continued to serve till eighteen fourteen, when a new stiff,
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: Tim Muther Keussen's skilled was sent to Iceland. In these
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: years of wars, embargoes, blockades, and commercial difficulties, American merchants
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: also began to trade with Iceland. In the fall of
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: eighteen o nine, an American shipped to Neptune and Providence,
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: commanded by Captain Samuel Staples, came to Reikievic with a
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: cargo of rye, oatmeal, barley, indigo, coffee, sugar, rum, brandy, tobacco, etc.
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: In eighteen ten, another American vessel came to Reikievic, bringing
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: a cargo of wheat, rice, iron, rum, and many other
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: kinds of goods exceptember, says the analyst s. Bolan. On
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: a visit to Copenhagen, the Danish consul General Peterson reported
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: that in eighteen ten he had persuaded an American merchant,
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: mister Edward Cruft of Boston, to send a cargo of wheat, flour, rice, tobacco, sugar,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: hemp and other goods to Iceland, and that mister Cruft
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: had sold these goods at prices so low that he
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: lost money on the venture. For a return cargo he
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: had bought at two or three places on the coast
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: such goods as the people had to sell. The following year,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: he sent another ship to Iceland with a cargo still
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: better suited to the wants of the people, but on
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: the return voyage the ship was seized by the English.
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: In eighteen twelve, he would have sent still another ship,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: but was prevented by the American embargo and the war
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: between England and America. In eighteen fifteen, he wished to
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: resume the traffic and petition the Danish government to grant
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: him a concession to trade with Iceland two or three
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: years with two ships, on the condition that such a
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: concession should not be granted to any other American merchant.
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: In case such a privilege were granted, he promised to
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: bring the country only goods produced in America as the stip.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: Tam Mather, Governor General for Iceland, cast and Skilled, testified
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: that the cargo ship to Iceland by mister Croft were
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: the most valuable ever received there, and that he had
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: sold the goods very cheap. The concession was granted throughout
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: the Napoleonic Wars, and even later American merchants seemed to
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: have made frequent voyages to Iceland. The analyst Aspolan records
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: for the year eighteen Si seventeen. Then in the fall
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: a ship came drifting to schaft Fell, Sisla. There were
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: no people on it. One mast was broken, in the
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: other standing. It was laden with American timber and was
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: much damaged. The same analyst records that in eighteen twenty
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: one a Scotch ship from America came drifting to Ija
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: fuel The men came ashore and returned home with a
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: mail ship. Commercial peace and freedom of trade with Iceland
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: was established by England in eighteen o nine, but while
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: the war lasted, little was imported and the people suffered severely.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: In eighteen oh nine, fourteen ships came to Iceland. Of these,
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: three were owned by the English merchants who had established
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: themselves in reykievic and one was an American vessel, the
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: Neptune and Providence. Many of the ships were small, and
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: the cargoes were not always well selected, as rum and
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: brandy were often brought instead of necessaries. The prices were
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: exceedingly high, and as the financial collapse of Denmark made
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: the Danish paper money so nearly valueless that it became
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: almost impossible for the Icelanders to use it as a
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: medium of exchange. They could obtain the foreign goods only
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: through exchange of home products, a most disadvantageous terms. The
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: freedom of trade was but imperfectly observed as the English
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: merchants sought to discourage all competitors. On July ten, eighteen
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: oh nine, the Danish ship trick Babor came to Iceland
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: sailing under English passport, bringing ten thousand bigs dollar of
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: government funds. The English merchants centered it, seized the money,
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: and then let it proceed to the harbor of Drayafeord.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: Other ships were detained for longer or shorter pears before
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: they were allowed to enter the harbors. But's such as
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: it was, the free intercourse established by the English was
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: of considerable advantage, as without it, Iceland would have been
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: completely isolated. Regarding the trade with Iceland and the cargo
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: brought by the Clarence in the winter of eighteen oh nine,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: Magnus Stevenson says, though the cargo was ill selected for
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: trade with Iceland, it cannot be denied that the English
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: trade at that time and throughout the summer, with their
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: spending of money and all sorts of plans, even the
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: most foolish, gave many people, especially in the winter and spring,
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: great opportunity for labour. Without this, the general's distress would
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: have been much more keenly felt. Before the fisheries began.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: In eighteen fifteen, Stevenson made an attempt to improve trade
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: conditions by bringing before the Danish government a proposal to
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: establish free intercourse with Iceland. A commission was appointed to
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: consider the matter, but nothing was farther from the mind
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: of the government than to remove all restrictions on trade.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: During the long war, Danish commerce had been almost destroyed,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: and now that peace had returned, the government would not
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: willingly surrender the still existing remnant the trade with Iceland.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: Sweden had joined the coalition against Napoleon, and Denmark, which
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: had been forced into an alliance with France through the
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: aggression of England, had been defeated. A treaty of peace
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: was signed at Kiel January four, fourteen, eighteen fourteen, by
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: which Norway was ceded to Sweden, but Iceland, which had
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: been united with Norway since twelve sixty two, was not
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: included in this session, but remained connected with Denmark. After
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the war, the Danish government sought to mend its broken
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: fortunes and also to improve the conditions of Icelandic trade.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: In eighteen sixteen, a so called agreement was published providing
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: for increased freedom of commerce. Danish ships sailing to Iceland
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: were allowed to carry Icelandic export articles directly to foreign
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: harbors by paying an export duty, but foreign commerce with
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: the island remained under such restrictions that it could not
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: be carried on. Even the few Englishmen who had established
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: themselves in Reikievik were ordered to sell what they had
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: and depart. But in spite of the still unchanged government policy,
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: some improvement in economic conditions manifested itself after the return
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: of peace. This is evident from the steady growth of
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: the population of the Eye after eighteen fourteen, the increase
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: of herds, the development of gardening fisheries, of import and
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: export trade. During the eighteenth century, the population of Iceland
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: had been reduced six point four percent according to some authorities,
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: and no improvement of conditions as noticeable till the return
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: of peace and the gradual revival of commerce after eighteen fourteen.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: From that time, the steady growth of population became very marked,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: amounting to forty one point eight percent in the period
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: eighteen oh one to eighteen sixty. In eighteen twenty three,
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: Iceland again had fifty thousand inhabitants. The census returns after
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: that time show the following figures eighteen thirty five, fifty
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: six thousand, thirty five, eighteen forty fifty seven thousand, ninety four,
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty five, fifty eight thousand, five hundred and fifty eight,
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty fifty, nine thousand, one hundred and fifty seven,
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty five, sixty four thousand, six hundred three, eighteen
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: sixty sixty, six thousand, nine hundred and eighty seven During
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: the same period, similar progress can be observed also in
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: the various productive occupations. Prior to the beginning of the
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: nineteenth century, vegetable gardening remained in a purely experimental stage.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: In eighteen hundred, there were only two hundred and eighty
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: three gardens in Iceland. In eighteen ten, the number had
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: risen to one thousand, one hundred and ninety four. After
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: that time, the census returns give the following numbers eighteen
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: twenty one, two thousand, seven hundred and sixty eight, eighteen
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: thirty one, two thousand, nine hundred and seventy seven, eighteen
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: forty one, three thousand, six hundred and fifty seven, eighteen
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: fifty one, five thousand, four hundred, eighteen sixty one, six thousand,
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: seven hundred and forty nine. Progress was also made in
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: the production of hay through construction of drainage ditches, building
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: of fences, and the leveling and fertilizing of meadows. Since
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: the people of Iceland derived so great a part of
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: their income from their herds, and increased yield of this
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: important agriculture product means our general improvement of economic life.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Statistics show a steady increase in the life members of
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: domestic animals after eighteen hundred. According to figures already given,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: Iceland had at that time three hundred and seven thousand sheep.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty three, the number had increased to five
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: hundred and sixteen thousand, eight hundred fifty but the destructive
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: cheap disease of eighteen fifty sixties eighteen sixty caused a
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: seven decline. By eighteen sixty the number had been reduced
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: to three hundred and twenty six thousand, six hundred and
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: sixty four. In northern Iceland. The resolute m math JP
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: Hoffstein caused the infected animals to be killed in the
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: southern district that slower and as it proved more expensive
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: method of cure was employed. After eighteen sixty one, conditions improved,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: a new progress was made in this industry. During the
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: same period, the cattle herds showed little or no increase.
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: From eighteen fifty three to eighteen sixty five, the number
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: of cattle fell from twenty three thousand, six hundred and
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: sixty three to twenty thousand, three hundred, but ourses, which
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: became of increasing importance as an article of exports, especially
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: after eighteen fifty, grew in number even in excess of
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: the increase of population. In eighteen oh one there were
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: about twenty six thousand horses in Iceland, or about fifty
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: five head to each hundred persons. In eighteen sixty one
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: there were forty thousand, eight hundred and twenty three, or
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: about sixty one head to each hundred people. The fisheries
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: of island, at this time second in importance only to
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: animal husbandry, also short considerable development, especially during the later
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: decades of that period eighteen hundred to eighteen sixty The
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: number of fishing boats had increased from two thousand and
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: eighteen oh one to three thousand, one hundred and eighty
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: six and eighteen sixty six, and while the population was
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: growing and ever larger quantities of fish products were needed
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: for home conception, the fish export grew from seven hundred
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: and fifty eight tons in eighteen oh one two four thousand,
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty tons in eighteen fifty five. After
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: the all thing had been re established in eighteen forty three,
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: the Iceland, under the guidance of the great political leader
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: Jan Sigurdson, began a new agitation for the abolition of
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: all restrictions on trade. A petition for free commerce was
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: sent to Denmark. The merchants sought to obstruct the movement,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: but in eighteen fifty three a bill was brought before
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: the Danish rigs Dug and although no Icelander had a
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: seat in that assembly, many supported it and argued that
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: the time had long since come when the fetters on trade,
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: which had oppressed Iceland for two hundred and fifty years,
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: ought to be removed. The bill became law April fifteen,
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty four. All nations could now trade with Iceland
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: without hindrance, and foreign commerce, especially with England, soon became
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: very profitable to the Icelanders. The year following the passage
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: of the bill, one hundred and twenty five ships came
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: to Iceland, of which thirteen came from foreign lands. Icelandic
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: products could now be shipped to ports where open markets
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: and a ready demand could be found. A free competition
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: would lower the prices on imports and give new stimulus
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: to commercials activity. The rapid increase in the volume of
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: Icelanding trade soon proved the wisdom of the new policy.
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: In eighteen oh six, the grain import amounted to only
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: about fifty thousand bushels. In eighteen forty it was over
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: one hundred and forty five one thousand, four hundred bushels,
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: more than twice the amount per capita, even allowing for
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: the increase in population. In eighteen oh six, about eight thousand,
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: six hundred pounds of coffee were imported. In eighteen fifty five,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: the import of this commodity reached eighty eight thousand, eight
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: hundred pounds. In eighteen fifty five four hundred and twenty
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: six thousand, nine hundred and eighty pounds. The importation of
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: sugar and syrup rose from twenty three thousand, five hundred
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: pounds to four hundred and seventy eight thousand pounds during
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: the same period. Another important commodity show a similar increase
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: iron and steel sixty five thousand to one hundred fifty
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: two thousand, coal two thousand to twenty two thousand, salt
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: one thousand to seventy three thousand, fourteen thousand to thirty
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: seven thousand. A less commendable feature of the growing trade
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: was the importation of distilled liquors, which increased about two
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: hundred percent during this period, owing chiefly to a premium
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: offered by the government for the export of Danish liquor.
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: The cost of this worse than useless article of import
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: was greater than that of all other imported commodities combined.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: Of Icelandic exports, the products of husbandry represented in eighteen
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: fifty five about one half of the total amount. Especially
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: noteworthy is the growth of the export of wool from
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty thousand to one million. This phenomenal
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: increase is explained by the fact that Icelandic knitted where
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: could no longer be sold to advantage, since the household
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: industries could not compete with the much cheaper machine manufacture
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: of foreign lands. Icelandic knitted articles such as socks, mittens, jackets,
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: et cetera, once in great demand, were disappearing from the
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: market and the Icelandic wool was sold to foreign manufacturers.
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: Other articles of export also show a relatively low arch
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: percentage of increase tallow one hundred ninety one thousand to
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: nine hundred and thirty thousand, meat two thousand to three thousand,
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: codfishs six hundred to four thousand, train oil two thousand
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: to six thousand, eider down two thousand to four thousand,
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: feathers eight thousand to twenty five thousand. The rapid increase
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: of Icelandic commerce during this period is shown also by
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: the growing number of ships sailing to Icelandic ports. In
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: the period eighteen hundred to eighteen oh nine, the average
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: yearlyque number was forty eight. In eighteen fifty to eighteen
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: fifty four, the number had increased to one hundred and
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: twenty eight, so notable a progress in all branches of
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: economic life. The increase of production, the development of trade,
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: and the resulting growth of population showed that Iceland was
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: entering upon a new era of social and economic development.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: At this time, new interest was also awakened for education.
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: The Latin school, which, according to provision of eighteen oh one,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: was to be established at Reikievik, had so little success
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: that it was moved to Bess in eighteen oh five,
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: chiefly because no suitable buildings had been provided in this
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: not very convenient place. It had since remained until it
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: had become a difficult problem to solve whether it should
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: again be moved to Reykievic. In eighteen thirty two, a
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: peired Thomas Siemenson's work about the schools of Iceland Iceland's
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: fraud den and to Lik Chuel Side Brattet and Young
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Sigurdson began a vigorous agitation for the improvement of the
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: Icelandic school system. He proposed that common schools for the
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: children should be built wherever they could be accessible, that
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: agricultural schools should be founded in all quarters, that the
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: Latin schools should be moved from Besse to Reikievic, and
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: that its courses should be improved, And that a theological
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: school with a three years course should be established at Reikievik.
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: With regard to the common schools. The conditions of the country,
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: with its sparse population, even now prevents the maintenance of
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: such schools in many places, but instruction in the homes
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: under the supervision of the clergyman has proved a very
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: efficient substitute. In nearly part of that nineteenth century, the
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: country was still too weak economically to carry out so
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: extensive an educational program, but the work was undertaken in
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: great earnest. The Latin school was moved to Reikiovic in
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty six, and the following year a theological seminary
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: was also established there. Joan Sigurdson had asked that instructions
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: should also be provided in medicine and jurisprudence, but since
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: the government and many of the Icelanders themselves feared the
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: expenses connected with such a plan, it was postponed. Though
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: nowhere was the need of trained physicians greater than in Iceland,
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: where violent epidemics were so frequent. The first doctor sent
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: there in seventeen sixty had to serve both as physician
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: and apothecary for the whole country until he could strain
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: some assistance. In eighteen hundred, there were still only six
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: physicians in Iceland. In eighteen fifty the number had increased
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: to seven. And so extensive a country where travel is
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: slow and difficult, it is evident that few sick people
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: could receive any aid from a medical service so inadequate
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: that students of law had to study in Denmark, where
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: they did not become acquainted with Icelandic jurisprudence was also
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: a great disadvantage. As a result, lawyers and officials often
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: learned to look at all questions from a Danish point
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: of view and became staunch supporters of the crown in
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: every controversy, instead of cherishing a more patriotic sympathy with
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: their own people. The Danish government had long regarded Iceland
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: as a province which was to be connected as closely
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: as possible with the realm. All efforts to provide home
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: training for students of law was therefore posed as this
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: would lessen Danish influence over Icelandic officials and might tend
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: to develop a local patriotic sentiment. The Danish sympathies of
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: the upper social class, consisting of merchants, officials, and those
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: who had studied in Denmark, was a safeguard against any
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: separatistic national movement in Iceland. The merchants who were conducting
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: business in Icelandic harbor still had their real homes in Denmark,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: especially in Copenhagen, where they usually spent the winter months
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: every year. Socially, they did not mingle with the Icelandic
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: people and with the officials and their families, with the
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: m Tamaithr and other dignitaries in Reikievich usually devoted adherents
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: of the crown and strong supporters of its prerogatives. In
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: their fine homes, liberal hospitality was shown all Danish friends,
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: and festive entertainments were arraigned for those who shared their
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: tastes and belonged to the higher social circles from the
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: life and sympathies of the Icelandic people. They were as
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: a rule isolated and far removed. In the chapter fifteen