Still, Norway remained a conservative society.

Life in Norway (especially economic

life) was "dominated by the aristocracy of professional men who filled most of the
important posts in the central government".[80] There was no strong bourgeosie class
in Norway to demand a breakdown of this aristocratic control of the
economy.[81] Thus, even while revolution swept over most of the countries of Europe
in 1848, Norway was largely unaffected by revolts that year.[81]

A girl from Hardanger wearing a Norwegian bridal bunad, c. 1900

Marcus Thrane was a Utopian socialist. He made his appeal to the labouring classes
urging a change of social structure "from below upwards." In 1848, he organised a
labour society in Drammen. In just a few months, this society had a membership of
500 and was publishing its own newspaper. Within two years, 300 societies had
been organised all over Norway, with a total membership of 20,000 persons. The
membership was drawn from the lower classes of both urban and rural areas; for the
first time these two groups felt they had a common cause.[82] In the end, the revolt
was easily crushed; Thrane was captured and in 1855, after four years in jail, was
sentenced to three additional years for crimes against the safety of the state. Upon
his release, Marcus Thrane attempted unsuccessfully to revitalise his movement, but
after the death of his wife, he migrated to the United States.[83]
In 1898, all men were granted universal suffrage, followed by all women in 1913.
Dissolution of the union
Main articles: Union dissolution referendum and Dissolution of the union between
Norway and Sweden
Christian Michelsen, a shipping magnate and statesman, and Prime Minister of
Norway from 1905 to 1907, played a central role in the peaceful separation of
Norway from Sweden on 7 June 1905. A national referendum confirmed the people's
preference for a monarchy over a republic. However, no Norwegian could
legitimately claim the throne, since none of Norway's noble families could claim
descent from medieval royalty. In European tradition, royal or "blue" blood is a
precondition for laying claim to the throne.
The government then offered the throne of Norway to Prince Carl of Denmark, a
prince of the Dano-German royal house of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-
Glücksburg and a distant relative of several of Norway's medieval kings. After
centuries of close ties between Norway and Denmark, a prince from the latter was
the obvious choice for a European prince who could best relate to the Norwegian
people. Following the plebiscite, he was unanimously elected king by the
Norwegian Parliament, the first king of a fully independent Norway in 508 years
(1397: Kalmar Union); he took the name Haakon VII. In 1905, the country welcomed
the prince from neighbouring Denmark, his wife Maud of Wales and their young son
to re-establish Norway's royal house.