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In the eighteenth century, the Danish monarchy was politically weak and the political authorities chose to focus on the development of the country’s economy. They established consular services in most of the major European commercial cities. These Danish consulates were directly involved in the growth of maritime commerce thanks to their supply of economic information that helped reduce risks in international trade and increased the competitiveness of Danish shipping. For Denmark, the thirty-year period between 1778—which was the start of the American War of Independence—and 1807—the year when Copenhagen was bombarded by the British navy—, was described as a time of “flourishing trade” in which Danish ship owners ruled on international sea routes.