L.O. Smith for extended voting rights
In 19th century Sweden, only those with an annual income of at least 800 SEK per year were allowed to vote. Far from everyone earned that much. During a disagreement […]
Social reforms
The yellow letter – Smith’s first tactical mistake
In 1883, the year that Smith’s workers’ groups started to take shape, workers were invited to buy shares that would form a Workers’ Bank, under generous conditions. The shares cost […]
L.O. Smith’s workers’ groups take shape
L.O. Smith felt constantly annoyed by the dominance and power of the upper class. He never forgot where he came from. In the 1880s, he gathered a group of politically […]
The steam kitchens – tasty, healthy, affordable food
In Nice, France, L.O. Smith started to work on a proposal that would benefit the working classes. He figured that if they ate good, healthy food, they would work harder, […]
From workers’ groups to suffrage rights
L.O. Smith’s workers’ groups didn’t last long. The groups lacked suitable leaders, and many people were busy with other engagements. Smith wanted the workers to contribute more actively to the […]
Poor quality spirits and the first vodka war
Having made a fortune on spirit trade, L.O. Smith decided to start producing his own vodka. He had seen the harmful effects of bad liquor in his life and was […]
The liquor factory in Karlshamn
To meet the demand from the Spanish market, L.O. Smith decided to open a new factory in his hometown of Karlshamn. Situated on the southeast coast of Sweden, the geographical […]
Featured
Movie trailer from the film about L.O. Smith
Watch the trailer from the movie about L.O. Smith’s exciting life here (in Swedish).
What happened next: Suffrage
On February 2, 1889, L.O. Smith submitted a proposal for extended male voting rights to the Swedish parliament. The same year, the Social Democratic Labor Party was founded, and the […]
What happened next – Smith’s labor groups
L.O. Smith set up labor groups to get his workers involved politically, but the groups did not work out in the long run. He was disappointed both with the workers’ […]
What happened next: The post bank
The post bank was L.O. Smith’s idea to boost workers’ financial security. Converting post offices into banks would make banking services more accessible, through longer opening hours and better geographical […]
What happened next – Smith’s purification method
Smith promoted his heat treatment system at home and abroad, but he never gained complete control of the market. At the time, the heat treatment was the only scientifically proven […]