Show I lie lour Hi of July if Wtrjr The seventeenth day nl I Mop li I the Norwegian ouilli I of July and the f It hlttorlcal nlxiiilicance of the ltiayU y1 IM loll 1 r1 lolloau An an ally ol the Tint Napoleon the Panlth king Ir Kink VI In 1113 was engagei I In war with Knwln Swollen ngUml 1 I 1 mid lutiii 1 Vapoleonii ile fats at eiptlii I however forced his I Welsh ally to lerins and at the peace of Kiel Jiuiumy 14 IHI king reiltll to nave lunitcll ami Dtnmaik cite up Norway 01 a booty of war In bvieilcn Hut tide act wet immediately deC de-C and repudliteil by the NorwcL Ions They hail become tired of thtlr provincial reUtloni to Denmaik but they would not for a moment rnttrtlln the Idea tint they anil their country could Iw given aWAY as a chattel So Instead ot meekly complying witn the demand for surrender mode upon them I by Sweden they act about UkhiK meAiurei to 111I11 the country and establish a cuverninent of their own I The LUnlih Prince I Christian rrdrik i gII b uuieiurntly Ring Christian VIII ol 1 Denmark at the time of the peace ol Kiel vice recent of Norway rlo Invn led Kith the ficul of authority ai the I coxeininent and a niilonal contention called at Idsvold I near Lhriillanl e to draft and ailupt a coniiltulinn AuembluiK Apill moth 1814 the convention li J k 11 vention ueiu to work whit a will ant r in the coon of a month had drifted a complete conttlliniun On May I7th following Inslrumrnt wailuinully end lolenmly adopted u > the fundiincn tal law of Norway and It It thin action which Norway and the Norwegian commemorate by their IJtll of May cclebralioni 110 I contlilution of Norway however ai then toad wai changed In tomu nnterlal polnti ilioitly afterttardi Uhllc the dtliberillont at 1ldsvold were Hill going on Napoleon hid been defeated I and forced to abdiciie and the power had promised the S cdlih crown prince Call ohm llcnnilutte their assistance l in subduing Norway In conlormanca with Ohms promiim I formal demand Here made upon the Noro lan 10 lurrender abjectly to Sweden and allow StttdUh troupe to occupy the Morweciin firlreuM I un the fiontier This IOU reused and war commenced between Sweden and Nuruay Hut Iho canquett proved more of n tttlt than expelled and alter some fiKhtlnj Carl johan offered In recognize the Norwegian cuiutitutlon prodded Norway would consent a union with Sweden Iheto terms were accepted liiHlllitiei ceased and on November 4 1814 the Norwegian Stoitli I ny which l 11 li hid F Il In the mntime Ind convened ratlhed the act of union between the two countries Shortly before this Christian rexlrlk 1 I gdl hndhcen elected klncnt Iulivold I abdicated and returned to Denmark and Immediately following upon the pasuge of the act of union the bttcdiih king was elected king ul Norway also It will r l > observed from lilt oUlllne tint the seventeenth of May commemorate commemor-ate etenti occurlng be lot c the union wllh Sweden WM consummated In deed the flay properly maybe called I hY J olirro 1 oJ July the Mourth of Jul of Norway It being In fact a formal declaration ol Independence by a people 1 up to lint lime for four hundied yean unlnottn ai a nation |