It was pre-eminently an age of commercial companies. Christian II of Denmark (1481–1559), who was also for a time king of Sweden, was perhaps the first to suggest a trading company for the north, but his scheme failed. The Scandinavian countries were not ripe for such an organization. About half a century later a commercial company was chartered at Gothenburg for the purpose of conducting an extensive trade, but it failed. A general trading company was founded in 1615. Its charter was to be in force for ten years. It was to erect warehouses and to buy and sell ships as well as staple commodities in foreign and domestic markets; and it was given rebate in excises. Four years later several influential men decided to organize a commercial company, which was given a monopoly on foreign trade, and granted privileges to buy and sell all kinds of merchandise. Within the next few years several other companies were chartered, but they were all of small importance, except the copper company, which did a large business. A colonizing company was also formed, but it was dissolved after a short time. In 1624 the famous South Company saw the light of day, and five years later a French company was founded, for trade with Russia. In 1632 an ambitious plan was launched to establish direct commercial communications across the continent with India and Persia; and in 1635 some English merchants at Gothenburg applied for the privilege of establishing a commercial company. These activities continued throughout the following decade and hardly a year passed, which did not see the formation of a trading company of some kind. The ship company established in 1646–47, the Swedish African Company projected in 1647, and the tar-company founded in 1648 were important organizations; the other plans were either of small consequence or were never executed. Several capitalists joined the above mentioned African company and in a few years its stock was relatively large. It traded in slaves, ebony and gold, and was very successful, tending to divert money from the treasury of the New Sweden Company. A tract of land was bought from the natives along the Gold Coast, where several forts and factories were erected. The colony came under Danish and Dutch rule for a short period, but was re-occupied by Sweden. It was finally captured by the Dutch in 1663, when the company practically came to an end.[8] [Illustration: Willem Usselinx.] The most ambitious and the best known of these trading societies is the (already referred to) South Company, organized by Willem Usselinx, the famous founder of the Dutch West India Company. Failing to receive from his native land what he thought to be his dues, he left Holland in the beginning of 1624 with the avowed purpose of entering the service of several Dutch mercantile houses at Danzig. On his way, however, he visited several commercial cities in the north among which was Gothenburg.