WIC TTO Chapter 2.3

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

WIC West-Indian Company 

Summary Lesson about VOC 

To the West! 

On the other side of the world were other trading opportunities. In 1621, the Dutch West India Company ('West-Indische Compagnie') or WIC was established. The WIC was managed almost similarly to the VOC. It established many trading posts and colonies in North and South America and the Caribbean, like Curacao and Brazil. 

The WIC traded mostly in gold, sugar and slaves. They bought slaves on the west coast of Africa. African tribe leaders would often sell their captured enemies as slaves. These slaves were shipped to a trading post of the WIC, such as Curacao. 

Here the slaves were sold at auctions, mostly to work on plantations in North or South America.

logo of the Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie

WIC ships sailing to America

Dutch slave traders bringing slaves to the slave market

overview Dutch trading posts and colonies

click for interactive map

Slaves were crammed together

 and treated miserably on the

WIC ships. Slaves that got sick or died during the journey across the Atlantic were thrown overboard. You will learn more about the Atlantic slave trade in one of the next lessons.

Besides trade, the WIC was also allowed to capture and destroy Spanish ships that journeyed between the Spanish colonies and Spain. Their goods and silver were taken by the WIC. This was called privateering and caused a big blow for the Spanish economy. The States General supported privateering to stop Spain from waging war against the Republic.

click for interactive poster

Piet Heyn

conquered the Spanish silver fleet

Tekst

10a) Why did the States General allow privateering for the WIC?

10b) After 1648, the WIC started to concentrate less on
privateering and more on slave trade.
Can you explain this?

The Triagle Trade

New Amsterdam as it appeared in 1664. Later, under British rule, it became known as 

New York.

painting by Johannes Vingboons (1664)

Summary Lesson 3.2