History, The Early Bernadottes

In 1818 Bernadotte succeeded to the throne as Charles XIV John. Although his reign of 1818 to 1844 was characterized by a conflict for control between the throne and the Riksdag, and, as a foreigner, he was not popular, Bernadotte was an able administrator, and the united kingdoms of Norway and Sweden made considerable progress materially, politically, and culturally. His successors, Oscar I, Charles XV, and Oscar II, were accepted as Swedes. Between 1864 and 1866 the constitution was materially revised; the Riksdag, although bicameral, then received a form close to its present one. Between 1867 and 1886, nearly half a million Swedes emigrated to America because of food and job shortages. The union with Norway began to show strain in the late 19th century, and in June 1905 the Norwegian legislature proclaimed its dissolution, an act ratified without strong opposition by the Swedish Riksdag. During the reign of Oscar II notable progress was made in social legislation, including factory laws, accident insurance and pension funds for workers, and limitation of working hours for women and children.