Glorious Golden Age?

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

A Glorious Golden Age?

At the end:

1. can you explain why Amsterdam became the centre of trade in the 16th and 17th centuries; 

2. can you explain how the VOC and WIC were part of colonialism and the global economy;

3. can you explain the relationship between slave trade and slave labour on the plantations.

Hierna: uitleg Gouden Eeuw

The Golden Age (a period of prosperity) does not last a century, but from 1602 to 1672. The Netherlands in this 17th century has a different name, namely The Republic (to be precise, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands).

During this period, the Republic experiences an economic boom through trade, especially in the provinces of Holland and Zeeland. The moedernegotie / mother trade (mother of all trade) is the (grain and wood) trade around the Baltic Sea. As a result, Amsterdam in particular becomes an important trading centre. 

All goods are stored in warehouses and are resold if a lot of profit can be made, so Amsterdam has a large staple market. Merchants invest in goods to make as much profit as possible, this is called trading capitalism. All the warehouses (canal houses) are along Amsterdam's world-famous ring of canals. In 1585, many merchants from metropolis Antwerp come to Amsterdam because the Spanish (read: 80-year war) conquer Antwerp.

Hierna: plaatje grachtengordel

Hierna: 

Google Maps grachtengordel

'Moedernegotie' is so called because..

1. ...you negotiate with your mother about the amount of your pocket money
2. ...you travel with your mother to trade
3. ...it is the mother of all trades , which makes the most money
4. ...it is the mother of all trades, with which the least money is made

De Republic and the Dutch East Trading Company (VOC)en de EastVOC:

• DeSo the Republic has a Golden Age mainly through (grain and wood) trade on the Baltic Sea, but more famous is the overseas world trade of company (company) the V.O.C (Dutch East trading Company) . The VOC ships sailed to the East Indies (say Asia). There were already many companies from The Republic sailing to
•  East Indies, consequence is a lot of competition which resulted in little profit. Therefore, the VOC is founded in 1602, which is given a monopoly position (the sole right, no competition) by the Republic. This also meant that the VOC could build forts, fight wars, conclude treaties and administer conquered territories itself without the approval of the Republic's government. 

Establishing the VOC required a lot of money. To get this money, it is possible for anyone to put money into the VOC. Whoever does so receives a receipt - a share. Does the VOC. make a profit? Then you also get a share of the profit. Does the VOC make a loss? Then you have to pay extra. Over 1100 people dare to take a gamble to buy a share of the VOC. 

    Result: the VOC is the first company in the world with shares!

The East Indies trade in spices (e.g. cloves, cocoa, nutmeg, mace and pepper (expensive)). These exotic spices make a lot of money in Europe and are used in cooking, but also as medicine.

    The VOC had lots of trading posts along the coast, its headquarters being Batavia (now: Jakarta) on Java.

 The VOC is the first multinational (a company with branches across several countries) ever in the world and eventually grows into the largest company in the world!

Trading post

Kaapkolonie

Jan v. Riebeeck founded the Cape Colony with a refreshment station near the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.

Which statement is correct?

1. Republic owes Golden Age to spice trade by The Dutch East India Company (VOC)
2. The Republic owes its Golden Age to trade in timber and grain with the Baltic Sea (Mother Negotiation)

SELECT THE APPROPRIATE OPTION:

Spices from (1). India/America are highly sought after in the 17th century. Too many different companies offer these spices on the market, causing the price to fall.

(2) A cause / A consequence, therefore, is the establishment of the VOC in 1602 which gains a monopoly position.

1. 1. Indië, 2. a cause
2. 1. Indië, 2.a consequence
3. 1. Amerika, 2. a cause
4. 1. Amerika, 2. a consequence

The Dutch West India Company

The sailing route of the VOC and the WIC:

Hierna: Wat is de WIC nog meer?

A direct cause ('trigger') affects events directly (think: 'the last straw that makes the bucket overflow').

An indirect cause has been in play for longer, often in the background. Sometimes you don't recognise that this was a cause until afterwards.

1. A direct / indirect cause of the Republic being able to pay for the war against Spain in 1628 was Piet Hein's hijacking of the Spanish Silver Fleet near Cuba.

2. A conscious / unconscious consequence of this Spanish Silver Fleet was that the 4,000 crew members protested when they returned home to the Republic, because they thought the 200 guilders per man as a reward was too little.

1. 1. direct, 2.conscious
2. 1. direct, 2. unconscious
3. 1. indirect, 2.conscious
4. 1. indirect, 2.unconscious

The WIC ships sail in a triangle. 

First look at the 3 arrows. What can be found on the WIC ship? 

Drag the words to the correct WIC ship:

Hierna: fimpje WIC (+ 2 min.)

goud

wapens

kleding

slaven

koffie

cacaco

tabak

suiker

drank

ivoor

The image shows the skyline of a city that was important in the WIC.

Which city is this the skyline of?

(Hereafter: explanation slave trade.

1. New York
2. Batavia
3. Elmina
4. Cuba

An inky black page

• An inky black page in Dutch history is the slave trade that lasted over 200 years.
• Especially from headquarters Fort Elmina (Ghana - Africa), a total of 600,000 slaves were shipped from 1637 onwards to plantations in the New World on the other side of the Atlantic. The ship journey takes 2 months and 1 in 8 'enslaved people' (aka 'heads') do not make the crossing. These 'heads' are not people, but goods.

While other European countries, such as France and England, stopped slavery long ago, the Netherlands was only the last to abolish the slave trade in 1863. 

Every year on 1 July, we celebrate the end of slavery. This celebration is called Keti Koti, which means 'broken chains'.

Hierna: filmpje slavenhandel WIC (2 min.)

SDrag the words below to the appropriate column, choose from:

- VOC, or

- WIC, or

- VOC and WIC

VOC:

WIC:

VOC en WIC:

slavenhandel

monopolie

specerijen

aandelen

J.P. Coen

multinational

Spaanse schepen kapen

Fort Elmina

Batavia

driehoeks- handel

Piet Hein

kolonialisme

A Golden Age for all?

Rich and Poor

Rich

• Regents (rich administrators), merchants and traders

lived in large canal houses ('De Gouden Bocht') in Amsterdam or in large country houses (on the Vecht)

...and Poor

• People could get into trouble. For example: Rise in bread prices
• 2/3 Amsterdam no steady work and/or income
  
• East/North of NL mostly 'small' farmers.
  

Poor people's care

• Around 15% of Amsterdam's population lived off poor relief.

• Poor relief via: church, guild, the city and sometimes the rich