Business Life in Pursuit of Economic and Political Advantages in Early-Nineteenth-Century Finland JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES in HUMANITIES 195

JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 195 Maare Paloheimo Business Life in Pursuit of Economic and Political Advantages in Early-Nineteenth-Century Finland JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 195 Maare Paloheimo Business Life in Pursuit of Economic and Political Advantages in Early-Nineteenth-Century Finland Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston humanistisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston Historica-rakennuksen salissa H320 joulukuun 15. päivänä 2012 kello 12. Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Jyväskylä, in the building Historica, hall H320, on December 15, 2012 at 12 o'clock noon. UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2012 Business Life in Pursuit of Economic and Political Advantages in Early-Nineteenth-Century Finland JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN HUMANITIES 195 Maare Paloheimo Business Life in Pursuit of Economic and Political Advantages in Early-Nineteenth-Century Finland UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2012 Editors Jari Ojala Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä Pekka Olsbo, Sini Tuikka Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities Editorial Board Editor in Chief Heikki Hanka, Department of Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä Petri Karonen, Department of History and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä Paula Kalaja, Department of Languages, University of Jyväskylä Petri Toiviainen, Department of Music, University of Jyväskylä Tarja Nikula, Centre for Applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä Raimo Salokangas, Department of Communication, University of Jyväskylä Cover: An authorization issued by the leading merchants of Turku to a merchant called J.H. Lindroos to submit a petition to the Tsar concerning customs duties on imported coffee, dated 29 May 1850. Source: National Archives (Helsinki), The Archives of the Finnish Senate, the Economic Department’s file STO AD 377/229 1850. Photo: Maare Paloheimo. URN:ISBN:978-951-39-4992-1 ISBN 978-951-39-4992-1 (PDF) ISBN 978-951-39-4991-4 (nid.) ISSN 1459-4323 Copyright © 2012 , by University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä 2012 ABSTRACT Paloheimo, Maare Business life in pursuit of economic and political advantages in early-nineteenth-century Finland. Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2012, 257 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities ISSN 1459-4323; 195) ISBN 978-951-39-4991-4 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-4992-1 (PDF) Diss. Finnish summary The present study examines how business actors participated in and influenced government decision-making regarding their own economic and political interests in early- nineteenth-century Finland. The research period is characterised by a major political change; Finland, previously the eastern part of Sweden, was incorporated in 1809 into the Russian Empire as an autonomous Grand Duchy after a war that arose out of European power politics. The beginning of the era of Russian rule signified several changes. For instance, the Diet of the Estates, which had been a traditional channel of political influence for business life under Swedish rule, did not convene between 1809 and 1863. The study maintains that in the prevailing situation the system of submitting petitions and appeals took on more importance for Finnish business life. Petitions and appeals are seen as expressions of political activity through which the subjects – including business actors – could seek a variety of government favours. The petitions and appeals were formally addressed to the Russian Tsar, but in practice the majority were dealt by the highest national governmental body, the Imperial Senate of Finland. In order to illuminate how widely and for what purposes business actors used this channel of influence, the petitions and appeals received by the Senate’s Economic Department, which dealt with the routine of administration, are studied in nine reference years between 1810 and 1850. In addition, two committees that were appointed to consider economic questions provide further evidence for the findings of this study. An analysis of the use of petitioning and the committee system provides a better understanding of the ways by which business actors aimed to promote their interests in a regulated environment. The study, which draw on a sample of 871 petitions and appeals and case studies of two committees, demonstrates that the representatives of the Finnish business life aimed to influence both major and minor matters through the above mentioned ways of contacting the top decision-makers: the scale could vary from privileges to produce soap in a small manufacture to issues involving large-scale business ventures and major legislative measures that would eventually change the development of whole segments of the economy. The study provides new insights into the development of business-government relations in the early part of the century and the transition from merchant to industrial capitalism, the gradual process of the diversification and internationalization of Finnish business life, female entrepreneurship and the birth of new industries. Keywords: Finland, business life, merchants, industrialists, petitioning, committees, decision-making, nineteenth century Author´s address Maare Paloheimo Department of History and Ethnology University of Jyväskylä, Finland Supervisors Professor Jari Ojala Department of History and Ethnology University of Jyväskylä, Finland Professor Petri Karonen Department of History and Ethnology University of Jyväskylä, Finland Adjuct Professor Heli Valtonen Department of History and Ethnology University of Jyväskylä, Finland Reviewers Professor Sakari Heikkinen Department of Political and Economic Studies University of Helsinki, Finland Associate Professor Hilde Sandvik Department of History University of Oslo, Norway Opponent Professor Sakari Heikkinen Department of Political and Economic Studies University of Helsinki, Finland PREFACE In late spring 2004, as a newly graduated student of Finnish history, I found myself writing a research plan for a dissertation. I had begun a job as a research assistant in a research project at the Department of History and Ethnology (“Hela”) in the University of Jyväskylä, but somehow I ended up as a doctoral student. That page-and-a-half-long research plan, which consisted of a meagre collection of scattered thoughts and unfinished ideas, evolved first into a licentiate thesis focusing on one businessman and finally into this study, which covers hundreds of business actors engaged in various segments of the economy in the early nineteenth century. This dissertation would not have come into existence without the contributions of my supervisors. I owe special thanks to my main supervisor, Professor Jari Ojala for his help, visions and patience. Over the past few years, he has read various versions of the chapters that follow and commented on them painstakingly – sometimes even from the other side of the world. The acute comments of Professor Petri Karonen have been equally important. They have always reflected his vast knowledge and attention to detail, qualities that I have appreciated throughout the research process. In the later stages of my work, I have received mentoring and support from Adjuct Professor Heli Valtonen, Ph.D. She has always found time to listen to me about the latest breakthroughs or setbacks I have experienced in my research and to provide thoughtful comments. In addition to my supervisors, I would like to thank Professor Ilkka Nummela for his valuable comments on my manuscript. Professor Nummela made me aware of the existence of Counsellors of Commerce of Russian origin and had I not learned about them from him, they would definitely have received less attention in this work. I also wish to thank the reviewers, Professor Sakari Heikkinen from the University of Helsinki and Associate Professor Hilde Sandvik, Dr.Phil. of the University of Oslo for their valuable comments and well-deserved criticism of the manuscript of this dissertation. Over the years, I have benefited greatly from discussions with my many colleagues in the Department of the History and Ethnology. During the time I have been a doctoral student in Hela, I have shared various offices with over 30 researchers and staff members – sometimes for only short periods of time, sometimes for a bit longer. Since it is impossible thank each of them individually, I would like to express my gratitude to them collectively for creating an inspiring work environment. I would also like to express my thanks the following persons whom I have got to know over the years. I have had endless discussions about early- nineteenth-century administrative and economic history with Merja Uotila, M.A., whose wide knowledge of craft trades is enviable. Similarly, conversations with Piia Einonen, Ph.D., Timo Särkkä, Ph.D. and Olli Turunen, M.A. have also provided valuable insights on many questions of early- nineteenth-century business life and economic affairs. In addition, I want to thank Adjuct Professor Jari Eilola, Ph.D. for his help – and for lending endless piles of books from his shelves. Furthermore, I would like to thank the members of two research groups, Organizational Evolution and Dynamics (OED), led by Professor Jari Ojala, and the Early Modern Morals research group (EMM), led by Professor Kustaa H.J. Vilkuna, for providing an inspiring atmosphere for scientific discussions. I further wish to thank Professor Pirjo Markkola for sharing her expertise in various questions

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