Icelandic sovereignty referendum, 1918
Okay, imagine you and your friends have a really important decision to make, like what game to play or what to have for lunch. In Iceland, a long time ago in 1918, the grown-ups also had a very big decision to make. They wanted to decide if Iceland should have its own country and be in charge of making its own rules or if it should stay connected to another country called Denmark.
So, they had a vote called a referendum, which is kind of like when you and your friends take a vote to decide something. People in Iceland had to go to special places, called voting stations, to cast their vote and make their voice heard.
Now, imagine you have a big jar of candy and you want to share it with your friends. Let's say you and your friends decide that if more than half of the friends vote for sharing, then you will share the candy. This is similar to how the referendum worked. If more than half of the people in Iceland voted to be their own country, then they would become independent.
So, on that day in 1918, the people of Iceland went to the voting stations and cast their votes. And guess what? The majority of the people, which means more than half, voted to become their own country! They wanted to be in charge of their own decisions and make their own rules.
This was a very exciting moment for the people of Iceland because it meant they would have their own government and could make decisions that were best for their country. It was like they were growing up and becoming more independent, just like you do when you learn to tie your shoes or ride a bike on your own.
After the vote, Iceland became a sovereign nation, which means they could make their own decisions and have their own laws. They still had some connections to Denmark, like the Danish king being their king too, but they were their own country at last.
So, this is how the Icelandic sovereignty referendum in 1918 was like a big decision for the grown-ups in Iceland to become their own country and be in charge of making their own rules, just like you and your friends making a decision about sharing candy.
So, they had a vote called a referendum, which is kind of like when you and your friends take a vote to decide something. People in Iceland had to go to special places, called voting stations, to cast their vote and make their voice heard.
Now, imagine you have a big jar of candy and you want to share it with your friends. Let's say you and your friends decide that if more than half of the friends vote for sharing, then you will share the candy. This is similar to how the referendum worked. If more than half of the people in Iceland voted to be their own country, then they would become independent.
So, on that day in 1918, the people of Iceland went to the voting stations and cast their votes. And guess what? The majority of the people, which means more than half, voted to become their own country! They wanted to be in charge of their own decisions and make their own rules.
This was a very exciting moment for the people of Iceland because it meant they would have their own government and could make decisions that were best for their country. It was like they were growing up and becoming more independent, just like you do when you learn to tie your shoes or ride a bike on your own.
After the vote, Iceland became a sovereign nation, which means they could make their own decisions and have their own laws. They still had some connections to Denmark, like the Danish king being their king too, but they were their own country at last.
So, this is how the Icelandic sovereignty referendum in 1918 was like a big decision for the grown-ups in Iceland to become their own country and be in charge of making their own rules, just like you and your friends making a decision about sharing candy.