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In the seventeenth century, Denmark-Norway and Sweden, two states whose trade and shipping activities had mostly been restricted to the North Sea and the Baltic, expanded into unknown maritime regions like the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. In this seminar we will discuss this Scandinavian expansion overseas: how were both states capable to widen their activities to maritime regions, which had been totally unknown to them until previously?
At the beginning of the semester, we will focus on Danish expansion: The expeditions to Greenland, the search for the Northwest passage, the promotion of Danish whaling, the foundation of the Iceland and East India Companies and the first Danish colonies in the Caribbean. To study Swedish expansion overseas, we will take a look at Swedish activities in the Mediterranean, but also the New Sweden colony and the Africa Company. Furthermore, we will analyse the mercantilist policies of both states to further trade and shipping, like the implementation of new toll tariffs and navigation acts, the councillor system and the strenghtening and foundation of (new) industries at home. The activities of Danes and Swedes in the service of the Dutch East India Company will be a point of interest as well.
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