Dutch West India Company

“ New Netherland had the distinction of being founded and governed by a great slave-trading corporation—the Dutch West India Company—which endeavored to extend the market for its human merchandise whithersoever its influence reached. ”

“ Their importance also is to be measured not by the meagre official reports and profit and loss accounts that have survived in the West India Company's records, but by the much fuller information to be derived from Spanish and Portuguese sources, as to the remarkable daring and energy of Dutch trading agents in all that portion of the South American continent lying between the rivers Amazon and Orinoco. ”

“ Therefore, being in every way willing to favor the aforesaid West India Company, we have after mature deliberation and with full knowledge of circumstances granted, and hereby do grant, that the aforesaid amplification, for the purpose aforesaid, be confirmed and ratified under our great seal. ”

“ And Charles, much to his credit, issued an order that all the English ports, whether in the kingdom or in the territories of the British king, should be thrown open to the Dutch vessels, trading to or from New Netherland.
The management of the affairs of the Dutch Colony was entrusted to a body of merchants called the West India Company. In the year 1629, this energetic company purchased of the Indians the exclusive title to a vast territory, extending north from Cape Henlopen, on the south side of Delaware Bay, two miles in breadth and running thirty-two miles inland. ”

“ Of the which, as we are now desired by the directors of the West India Company to cause a suitable instrument in writing to be properly drawn up, paraphed, subscribed and sealed with our great seal, we have, agreeable to our resolution adopted on the aforesaid twenty-fourth of March, caused these letters to be drawn up for all that is aforesaid; promising to keep them and cause them to be kept, well, firmly and truly and ordaining that all persons govern themselves accordingly. ”

“ XIII. All the patroons of colonies in New Netherlands and colonists living on the island of the Manhattes Shall be at liberty to sail and traffic along the entire coast from Florida to Terra Neuf, provided that they do first return with all such goods as they shall get in trade to the island of the Manhattes and pay five per cent duty to the Company, in order that if possible, after proper inventory of the goods in the ship, the same may thence be sent hither. ”

“ Wherefore we expressly charge and command all governors, justiciaries, officers, magistrates and inhabitants of these United Netherlands to permit and suffer the Company and its directors to enjoy quietly and peaceably all the benefits of this charter, license and privilege, ceasing all opposition and obstruction to it. ”

“ A shrewd, keen, far-seeing man, he was one of the first of the West India Company to perceive that the building up of {33} New Netherland could not be carried on without labor, and that labor could not be procured without permanent settlers. "Open up the country with agriculture: that must be our first step," was his urgent advice; but the dwellers in the Netherlands, finding themselves prosperous in their old homes, saw no reason for emigrating, and few offered themselves for the overseas settlements. ”

“ And with respect to the other two provisions, we further declared that, by virtue of the thirteenth article of the aforesaid charter, Holland and West Friesland, and likewise all the other provinces, shall be free as formerly to cause the nomination of directors to be made in the manner which is for the best interest and advancement of the Company. ”

“ Therefore we (our former proclamation of the ninth of June remaining in full force) have also interdicted and forbidden, and by these presents do interdict and forbid, the natives and inhabitants of this country, during the term of the aforesaid twenty-four years, to sail out of these Netherlands, as also out of any other kingdom or country, directly or indirectly, in the said salt trade to Punto del Rey, except in the name and on behalf of this Company ”

“ All optimism gone to make place for a leaden despondency and a feeling that no attempt of the individual can avail against the higher decrees of a cruel Providence. It is a terrible picture. It remained true for almost three generations. Let us be grateful that we in our own day have seen the last of it.
Dutch ships frozen in the ice
In the colonies, as has been said before, the same state of ruin existed as at home. The West India Company had been bankrupt for almost a score of years. ”

“ The West India Company was not inclined to involve itself in further expense for colonization, and matters threatened to come to a halt, when someone, very likely the shrewd Kiliaen himself, evolved the plan of granting large estates to men willing to pay the cost of settling and operating them. ”

“ They are chiefly memorable as having laid the foundation of the vast trade out of which the republic was to derive so much material power, while at the same time they mark the slight beginnings of that mighty monopoly, the Dutch East India Company, which was to teach such tremendous lessons in commercial restriction to a still more colossal English corporation, that mercantile tyrant only in our own days overthrown. ”

“ However, as these native rulers receive good salaries and are allowed to exact homage from their subjects, they seem quite content with their lot, and the people, naturally docile, yield obedience to the chiefs of their own race.
The culture system, aside from the indirect method of ruling, is the distinguishing feature of Dutch colonialism as it existed until recent [221] years. The East India Company followed the practice of the native princes and collected a land tax or rent of one-fifth the crop, and required in addition the labor of all able-bodied males for one day in five. ”

“ The States General of the United Netherlands incorporated, in the year 1621, a company, called the West India Company, to which it granted, among other powers, the right to establish Colonies in such parts of America as were not already occupied by other European nations. ”

“ Article XXXIX We have, moreover, promised, and do promise, that we will maintain and defend this Company against every person in [their rights of] free navigation and trade, and to that end will assist them with a sum of ten hundred thousand guilders, to be paid in five years, whereof the first two hundred thousand guilders shall be paid them when the first payment shall be made by the participants; provided, that we, with half the aforesaid ten hundred thousand guilders, shall receive and bear profit and risk in the same manner as the other participants of this Company. ”

“ Article XXXVIII And if it should happen (which we by no means expect) that any one ventured to injure or hinder in any way the navigation, commerce, trade or traffic of this Company, contrary to the common law or to the contents of the aforesaid treaties, leagues and covenants, they shall have the right to protect themselves against such actions and shall govern themselves according to the instructions to be issued by us concerning them. ”

“ The Dutch had already established important factories both in India itself and in the Spice Islands, and had with success contested with the Portuguese their monopoly of the Indian trade. It was in emulation of the Dutch, and taking advantage of the depression of Portugal, and in pursuance also of their systematic opposition to Spain, that the English Company was formed. ”

“ But our navigators that way have been confined to the roads of trade, and our discoveries bounded by what we can manage to a certain degree of gain. And I have heard it said among the Dutch, that their East India Company have long since forbidden, and under the greatest penalties, any further attempts of discovering that continent, having already more trade in those parts than they can turn to account, and fearing some more populous nation of Europe might make great establishments of trade in some of those unknown regions, which might ruin or impair what they have already in the Indies. ”

“ At least, within those limits the West India Company was to have monopoly of trade, all other Netherlanders being warned off the precincts. Nothing could be more magnificent, nor more vague.
The charter was for thirty-six years. The company was to maintain armies and fleets, to build forts and cities, to carry on war, to make treaties of peace and of commerce. It was a small peripatetic republic of merchants and mariners, evolved out of the mother republic—which had at last established its position among the powers of Christendom—and it was to begin its career full grown and in full armour. ”

“ These instances might be multiplied, and it is no wonder that the United Provinces convinced the princes and people of the Spice Islands that Holland could protect them against the Spaniards and Portuguese. By 1605, the Dutch had succeeded in expelling their enemies from the district which they coveted. It is no marvel that when the negotiations for peace began, they resolutely refused to relinquish their East India trade. ”

“ Article XLIV The directors of this Company shall solemnly promise and swear that they will act well and faithfully in their administration and render good and just accounts of their transactions; that they will in all things consult the greatest profit of the Company and, as much as possible, prevent its meeting with losses; that they will not give the greatest participant any greater advantage in the payments or distribution of money than the least; that, in collecting and receiving outstanding debts, they will not excuse one more than another ”

“ Thus men in the United Provinces spake of America. Especially Barneveld had been supposed to be prominent among the opponents of the new Company, on the ground that the more violently commercial ambition excited itself towards wider and wilder fields of adventure, the fainter grew inclinations for peace. The Advocate, who was all but omnipotent in Holland and Zeeland, subsequently denied the imputation of hostility to the new corporation, but the establishment of the West India Company, although chartered, was postponed. ”

“ He took the opportunity, however, to enlarge with emphasis and eloquence upon that traffic as constituting the very lifeblood of the country.
"The commerce with the East Indies is going on so prosperously," he said, "that not only our own inhabitants but all strangers are amazed. The West India Company is sufficiently prepared, and will cost the commonwealth so little, that the investment will be inconsiderable in comparison with the profits. ”

“ The disputes with the Dutch, however, now grew to such a height as greatly to embarrass the trade. Commissioners were actually appointed by the governments of the two countries to endeavour to bring about an amicable arrangement; and the Dutch proposed that the English East India Company and theirs should carry on the trade as a joint concern, a plan which, it was urged, would enable them effectually to subdue their common enemy the Portuguese, and to exclude all other nations from getting any footing in India ”