fishing in Iceland in the late 19th century the laws were changed in 1894, and free worker status became accessible for most landless Icelanders. Liberal democratic governments in Denmark pushed Iceland to adopt freedom of occupation during the 19th century. However, Icelandic elites and parliamentarians resisted implementing freedom of occupation, saying that the vistarband arrangement benefitted both laborers and employers. Icelandic historian Guðmundur Hálfdanarson argues that liberal democratic reforms during the 19th century in the Danish kingdom motivated Icelandic elites, who perceived these liberal democratic reforms as threats to their power and status, to push for greater Icelandic autonomy within the Danish kingdom. References http://visindavefur.hi.is/svar.asp?id=2377 Guðmundur Jónsson, Vinnuhjú á 19. öld (Reykjavík, 1981). Agriculture in Iceland Social history of Iceland Serfdom Labor in Iceland