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[[File:Ansgar.jpg|thumb|230px|Saint Ansgar]]

[[File:Ansgar.jpg|thumb|230px|Saint Ansgar]]

The first Christian missionary, Ansgar (801-865) made repeated trips to Sweden at the request of the king. In 1008 King Olaf Skötkonung (980-1022) was baptized and the great pagan temple at Uppsala was destroyed; Swedes slowly gave up paganism and became Catholics.  St. Bridget (Birgitta) (1303-1273) is the patron saint of Sweden. She was lady-in-waiting at the royal court, and in response to her many visions and revelations, she founded the double order of monks and nuns, known as the Bridgettines. In her ''Revelations'', many of them of a political nature, St. Bridget provided Sweden with its greatest piece of medieval literature

The first Christian missionary, Ansgar (801-865) made repeated trips to Sweden at the request of the king. In 1008 King Olaf Skötkonung (980-1022) was baptized and the great pagan temple at Uppsala was destroyed; Swedes slowly gave up paganism and became Catholics.  St. Bridget (Birgitta) (1303-1373) is the patron saint of Sweden. She was lady-in-waiting at the royal court, and in response to her many visions and revelations, she founded the double order of monks and nuns, known as the Bridgettines. In her ''Revelations'', many of them of a political nature, St. Bridget provided Sweden with its greatest piece of medieval literature

Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397, by which Denmark dominated Sweden. The Swedes resisted leading to open conflict in the 15th century.  

Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397, by which Denmark dominated Sweden. The Swedes resisted leading to open conflict in the 15th century.  

===Reformation===

===Reformation===

The Kalmar Union's final disintegration in the early 16th century brought on a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other. The Catholic bishops had supported Danish King Christian II, but he was overthrown by Gustavus Vasa (1490-1560) and Sweden (with Finland) was now independent again. Gustavus used the [[Protestant Reformation]] to curb the power of the church and became King Gustavus I in 1523. In 1527 he persuaded the Riksdag of Västerås, (comprising the nobles, clergy, burghers, and freehold peasants), to confiscate the church lands. Gustavus patronized the Lutheran reformers and appointed his men as bishops. Gustavus suppressed aristocratic opposition to his ecclesiastical policies and centralization efforts.

The Kalmar Union's final disintegration in the early 16th century brought on a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other. The Catholic bishops had supported Danish King Christian II, but he was overthrown by [[Gustavus Vasa]] (1490-1560) and Sweden (with Finland) was now independent again. Gustavus used the [[Protestant Reformation]] to curb the power of the church and became King Gustavus I in 1523. In 1527 he persuaded the Riksdag of Västerås, (comprising the nobles, clergy, burghers, and freehold peasants), to confiscate the church lands. Gustavus patronized the Lutheran reformers and appointed his men as bishops. Gustavus suppressed aristocratic opposition to his ecclesiastical policies and centralization efforts.

Tax reform took place in 1538 and 1558, whereby multiple complex taxes on independent farmers were simplified and standardized throughout the district; tax assessments per farm were adjusted to reflect ability to pay. Crown tax revenues increased but more important the new system was much fairer and more acceptable.  Sweden's economic strength grew rapidly and by 1544 Gustavus was strong enough to proclaim the Swedish crown hereditary in his house of Vasa.  It ruled Sweden (1523-1654) and Poland (1587-1668).<ref> Michael Roberts, ''The Early Vasas:  A History of Sweden 1523-1611'' (1968); Jan Glete, ''War and the State in Early Modern Europe: Spain, the Dutch Republic, and Sweden as Fiscal-Military States, 1500-1660'' (2002) [http://books.google.com/books?id=hI5agv3IDGIC&dq=questia+Glete,+''War+and+the+State&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=OkIWbv60os&sig=F66lMnhInY-bydmQNc1V_mtSJeM&hl=en&ei=DAUCSv7tCJOCtgOFso3xBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 online edition]</ref>

Tax reform took place in 1538 and 1558, whereby multiple complex taxes on independent farmers were simplified and standardized throughout the district; tax assessments per farm were adjusted to reflect ability to pay. Crown tax revenues increased but more important the new system was much fairer and more acceptable.  Sweden's economic strength grew rapidly and by 1544 Gustavus was strong enough to proclaim the Swedish crown hereditary in his family, the house of Vasa.  It ruled Sweden (1523-1654) and Poland (1587-1668).<ref> Michael Roberts, ''The Early Vasas:  A History of Sweden 1523-1611'' (1968); Jan Glete, ''War and the State in Early Modern Europe: Spain, the Dutch Republic, and Sweden as Fiscal-Military States, 1500-1660'' (2002) [http://books.google.com/books?id=hI5agv3IDGIC&dq=questia+Glete,+''War+and+the+State&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=OkIWbv60os&sig=F66lMnhInY-bydmQNc1V_mtSJeM&hl=en&ei=DAUCSv7tCJOCtgOFso3xBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 online edition]</ref>

==Early Modern==

==Early Modern==