lished their independence after
the union had existed for one hundred and twenty-five years. At the
death of the last of Margaret's line, in 1439, the states of Denmark
elected the count of Oldenburg their king, who reigned as Christian I.
He was made duke of Schleswig and count of Holstein, and thus the
sovereign of Denmark became the ruler of these duchies, about which
there has been so much trouble within the last ten years, and which
caused the war of 1866 between Prussia and Austria. He was followed by
his son Hans, or John, whose heir was Christian II., deposed in 1523.
This prince was a tyrant, and was kept a prisoner for twenty-seven
years. His crown was given to Frederick, Duke of Schleswig and
Holstein, in whose reign Sweden established her independence. His son
Christian III. succeeded him. In the great wars which followed the
Reformation, the kings of Denmark took the Protestant side. In
repeated conflicts with the Swedes, Denmark lost much of her
territory. After Christian III. came Frederick II., and then Christian
IV., who was followed by Frederick III., in whose reign the crown,
which had been nominally elective, was made hereditary in the
Oldenburg line. Under Christian V. the country was at peace; but
Frederick IV., who came after him, brought on a war with Sweden by
invading the territory of the Duke of Holstein, an ally of the King of
Sweden, which continued till 1718. Under Christian VI. and Frederick
V. the country was at peace. Christian VII. married the sister of
George III. of England, and was followed, in 1808, by Frederick VI.,
their son.

"In 1780, Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, under the influence of France,
established a new code of maritime laws, which operated against the
interests of England. This action in convention was called 'Armed
Neutrality,' and in 1800, during the reign of Christian VII., its
principles were revived, and a new agreement was signed by Russia,
Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden. It declared that arms and ammunition
alone were contraband of war, that merchandise of belligerents, except
contraband of war, was to be protected by a neutral flag, and that
'paper blockades' should be regarded as ineffectual. England
immediately laid an embargo on the vessels of the powers signing it.
In 1801, a British fleet under Sir Hyde Parker, with Nelson as second
in command, bombarded Copenhagen. Again, in 1807, England, fearing
that Denmark would be compelled by Napoleon to take part aga