Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to Western CIV. Episode four hundred and fifty.
Speaker 1: Dutch colonization. In fourteen ninety two, when Columbus famously crossed
Speaker 1: the Atlantic under the Spanish flag, the Dutch were also
Speaker 1: under the Spanish flag because they were under Habsburg rule
Speaker 1: is part of the Spanish Empire. The seventeen provinces of
Speaker 1: the Low Countries, which is modern day Netherlands, Belgium and
Speaker 1: Luxembourg were an important commercial and industrial hub in Europe.
Speaker 1: They hadn't yet emerged as a global maritime power. By
Speaker 1: the mid sixteenth century, things began to change. The Protestant
Speaker 1: Reformation and the growing resentment against Spanish rule set the
Speaker 1: stage for conflict the Eighty Years War, which lasted from
Speaker 1: fifteen sixty eight and sixteen forty eighth. The Chief and
Speaker 1: I talked about on again and off again throughout the
Speaker 1: last year or so of this show was a struggle
Speaker 1: from independence, but it wasn't just a land war. In fact, critically,
Speaker 1: it pushed the Dutch to the seas. There, the maritime
Speaker 1: world that they found became both a battleground and an
Speaker 1: economic opportunity. Now the Dutch, of course, were natural seafarers,
Speaker 1: their geography low lying, criss crossed by rivers, and facing
Speaker 1: the North Sea made them adept at water management and navigation.
Speaker 1: Their ports, especially Amsterdam, were bustling with trade. When war
Speaker 1: with Spain broke out, Dutch merchants and privateers that's basically
Speaker 1: government sanctioned pirates, started to challenge Iberian dominance on the seas.
Speaker 1: Spain and Portugal had divided the non European world between themselves,
Speaker 1: as we know with the Treaty of Tortoisis in fourteen
Speaker 1: ninety four, but the other European powers, the English, the French,
Speaker 1: and the Dutch, did not recognize this division. So instead
Speaker 1: the Dutch started building a powerful merchant fleet and began
Speaker 1: targeting Spanish and Portuguese holdings and trade routes. Now, several
Speaker 1: technological innovations were crucial to the Dutch maritime expansion. The
Speaker 1: first was the development of the flute ship. The Dutch
Speaker 1: developed the flute, a type of ship that was lighter, faster,
Speaker 1: and more cost efficient than anything else at the time.
Speaker 1: It had a narrow deck, which reduced toll fees at
Speaker 1: foreign ports because generally it was by measurement, and a
Speaker 1: large cargo hold, maximizing the volume of goods transported. The
Speaker 1: flute's efficient design required a smaller crew, lowering operational costs
Speaker 1: and making Dutch trade highly competitive. The Dutch were also
Speaker 1: leaders in cartography, map making, and navigation. The creation of
Speaker 1: highly accurate nautical charts and sea atlases by map makers
Speaker 1: like William Blau allowed for safer and more efficient voyages.
Speaker 1: Dutch sailors also adopted and refined navigational instruments like the
Speaker 1: astrolab and cross staff, enhancing their ability to navigate long distances.
Speaker 1: There were also innovations in ship building. Dutch shipyards were
Speaker 1: at the forefront of shipbuilding techniques. They used standardized mass
Speaker 1: production methods that reduced costs and increased speed of ship construction.
Speaker 1: The use of wind powered sawmills, pioneered by Cornelius Cornelia
Speaker 1: Zun awesome name by the way, revolutionized the timber industry,
Speaker 1: providing a steady supply of materials for shipbuilding. Finally, there
Speaker 1: were financial innovations. The establishment of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange
Speaker 1: in sixteen oh two and the creation of joint stock
Speaker 1: companies like the Dutch East India Company which is I
Speaker 1: usually referred to actually by a different name on it
Speaker 1: to that minute, allowed for the pooling of resources and
Speaker 1: the spread of risk. This financial infrastructure provided the capital
Speaker 1: necessary for large scale maritime ventures and encouraged investment in
Speaker 1: overseas trade. And of course, the Dutch fleet was equipped
Speaker 1: with naval artillery. These well armships had an edge in
Speaker 1: military conflicts, and the Dutch, because of the protracted conflict
Speaker 1: with the Spanish, were experts in fortification design. They could
Speaker 1: build robust trading posts and forts which helped to secure
Speaker 1: their overseas territory. But as I talked about a moment ago,
Speaker 1: the key innovation was the establishment of the Dutch East
Speaker 1: India Company, and we'll turn to that right after this.
Speaker 1: In sixteen oh two, the Dutch established the and here
Speaker 1: we go on this one beringi osti Douche Company, the VOC,
Speaker 1: which thankfully from here on out I'm going to refer
Speaker 1: to as the Dutch East India Company. This was truly
Speaker 1: a game changer. The Dutch East India Company was the
Speaker 1: world's first multinational corporation and the first ever to issue stock.
Speaker 1: It had quasi governmental powers. It could wage war, negotiate treaties,
Speaker 1: and establish colonies. Now, the Dutch East India Company's primary
Speaker 1: target were the Spice Islands modern day Maluca Islands in Indonesia.
Speaker 1: That was where there were cloves, nutmeg, mace, which are
Speaker 1: all worth their weight in gold. The Portuguese had a
Speaker 1: foothold there, but the Dutch, with superior naval power and
Speaker 1: ruthless tactics, began to push them out. By the early
Speaker 1: seventeenth century, the Dutch controlled the key parts of the
Speaker 1: Indonesian archipelago, including Batavia, which is modern day Jakarta, which
Speaker 1: became their administrative center in Asia. While the Dutch East
Speaker 1: India Company focused on Asia, the Dutch also set their
Speaker 1: sights on the Americas and Africa. In sixteen twenty one,
Speaker 1: they founded the West Kidish Companae or the Dutch West
Speaker 1: India Company. Its goals were threefold, weaken Spanish and Portuguese
Speaker 1: control in the Atlantic, create lucrative trade routes, and established colonies.
Speaker 1: The Dutch West India Company was active in the Caribbean,
Speaker 1: the coast of West Africa, and the Americas. It played
Speaker 1: a key role in the Atlantic slave trade, transporting enslaved
Speaker 1: Africans to work on sugar plantations in the Caribbean and
Speaker 1: South America. One of the Dutch West India company's most
Speaker 1: daring feats was the capture of the Spanish treasure fleet
Speaker 1: off Cuba in sixteen twenty eight by Admiral peihein a
Speaker 1: major blow to Spain's finances. But the Dutch weren't just raiders.
Speaker 1: They were colonizers too. Some of the key footholds they
Speaker 1: established included New Netherland. In sixteen twenty four, the Dutch
Speaker 1: established a colony along the Hudson River in North America,
Speaker 1: stretching from modern day Albany to the tip of Manhattan.
Speaker 1: The settlement at the southern tip of Manhattan Island became
Speaker 1: New Amsterdam, which of course is later going to become
Speaker 1: New York City. New Netherland was a strategic and commercial
Speaker 1: outpost focused on the fur trade with Native American tribes
Speaker 1: like the Iroquois Confederation. The colony attracted a diverse population,
Speaker 1: including Dutch, Walloon, German, Scandinavian, and even Jewish settlers, fostering
Speaker 1: an early spirit of cosmopolitanism. The purchase of Manhattan from
Speaker 1: the local Laponte people in sixteen twenty six, famously for
Speaker 1: Goodsworth about sixty guilders, remains one of the most iconic,
Speaker 1: though and mythologized moments in colonial history. There was also
Speaker 1: Dutch Brazil. The West India Company captured a large swath
Speaker 1: of northeastern Brazil from the Portuguese, focusing on the sugar
Speaker 1: prediction region of Pertumbuco. The Dutch established their capital in
Speaker 1: Recife under the leadership of John Maurice of Massau. Dutch
Speaker 1: Brazil became a center not just for sugar plantation, but
Speaker 1: for scientific exploration and cultural exchange, attracting artists, cartographers, and
Speaker 1: naturalists who documented the region. However, resistance from Portuguese settlers
Speaker 1: and enslaved Africans, alongside support from the Portuguese crown, eventually
Speaker 1: led to the Portuguese reconquest of Brazil in sixteen fifty four.
Speaker 1: The Dutch were more successful in the Caribbean. The Dutch
Speaker 1: captured several islands there, including Kurracao, Aruba, bon Air, St. Stavis, Seba,
Speaker 1: Saint Martin. Kirk how became a significant hub for the
Speaker 1: Atlantic slave trade and a center of commerce due to
Speaker 1: its deep harbor and strategic location. Saint Eustacius gained fame
Speaker 1: as the quote unquote Golden Rock due to its thriving
Speaker 1: trade economy and played a critical role in supplying goods
Speaker 1: and arms during conflicts, such as later on the American Revolution.
Speaker 1: Then there was Surrenam and Guana. Though initially settled by
Speaker 1: the English, the Dutch seized Surrenam in sixteen sixty six
Speaker 1: under the Treaty of Breda, trading their claim to New
Speaker 1: Netherland New York for control over the South American territory.
Speaker 1: Surrenam became a significant plantation colony, reliant on African labor
Speaker 1: for sugar, coffee, and cotton production. Then, of course, there
Speaker 1: was West Africa. The Dutch took over Portuguese forts along
Speaker 1: the Gold Coast which is modern day Ghana, in sixteen
Speaker 1: thirty seven, establishing a dominant role in the Transatlantic slave trade.
Speaker 1: These forts served as key points for the export of
Speaker 1: exslaved Africans to Dutch colonies in the Americas and Caribbean.
Speaker 1: By the mid seventeenth century, the Dutch had succeeded in
Speaker 1: carving out a global maritime empire. The Peace of Westphalia
Speaker 1: in sixteen forty eight formally recognized Dutch independence from Spain,
Speaker 1: and the Netherlands entered its Golden Age. Amsterdam became a
Speaker 1: center of Europe, especially financially. Dutch art, science, and culture flourished. However,
Speaker 1: it wasn't going to last forever. As we will find out,
Speaker 1: the English and French were rising maritime powers, and the
Speaker 1: Dutch would soon find themselves in a series of naval conflicts,
Speaker 1: especially with England in the Anglo Dutch Wars. That, however,
Speaker 1: is a story for another day. Next week we begin
Speaker 1: the long and detailed story arc on Jamestown. I hope
Speaker 1: you're excited, because this one has been fun.