ABSTRACT
Chapter 3 analyses the transitional phase from the end of absolutist rule in Denmark and implementation of the proto-democratic constitution in 1849, when the constitutional debate raised questions concerning democracy and self-determination in relation to the colonies. The chapter sheds light on how the handling of the various colonial relations influenced national self-perception. The lack of consultation with the colonies led to an increased pressure for independence in Iceland, a confirmation of the colonial status of the Faroe Islands, continued silence regarding Greenlanders’ possibilities to gain influence on their own situation and a fear of a demand for a “coloured” democracy in the Danish West Indies.
