The Norwegian Constitution was adopted on May 17, 1814, and established “a liberal constitutional monarchy in place of absolutism, giving Norway a more democratic government than that of any other country in Europe.” The same year, Norway held its first parliamentary elections. Still, voting rights were only granted to male landowners or men with certain official positions above the age of twenty. After the constitution of 1814, even though Norway was no longer under Danish rule, they were occupied by Sweden. This created a rise of nationalism that only grew as the 19th century progressed, which led to a growing “interest in northern history, namely that of the Anglo-Saxons and Norse peoples."