Name:____________________
Dutch Seafaring and Founding of New Netherland
Directions:
 Read the information about the colony of the New
Netherlands.
 Talk to the text as you read.
The story of New Netherland begins in Europe where
the Dutch fought an Eighty Years War of Independence
(1568-1648) from the vast Hapsburg Empire of Spain. This
War of Independence, the first of its kind, disrupted the
evolving Dutch trade and supply routes, particularly with the
East Indies and China. Spain, later joined by Portugal,
controlled these sea routes with armed ships-of war. The
defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by a joint EnglishDutch navy helped to slow the growth of the Hapsburg
power. The Netherlands, commonly called Holland after her
largest seafaring province, and England, both sought
alternative trade routes to the East Indies and China by
means of a defensible northern route. Therefore, the earliest
voyages of the Dutch were commercial in nature.
In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (Verenigde
Oostindische Compagnie or VOC) was founded. The success
of the company led to the founding of the Bank
of Amsterdam in 1609 and the Amsterdam Stock Exchange
in 1611. Also in 1609 Henry Hudson, an Englishman, was
hired by the Dutch East India Company to find a northeast
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passage to the Indies and China. In De Halve Maen (Half
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Moon) Hudson explored the mid-Atlantic region of the
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United States. Although Hudson did not find his alternate
trade route, he established a large area to be pursued for
commercial venture.
During this time the Netherlands and Spain called a
truce and there was to be no more fighting with arms.
Instead the Dutch were to wage a trade war. They competed
with the Spanish in the New World, opening up settlements
in former Spanish territories and encouraging piracy on the
open seas.
In 1621, the Dutch West India Company
(Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie or GWC) was
founded to regulate the merchant trade with Brazil and the
West Indies. The company did leave men to protect their
rights and trading posts, but actual settlements did not occur
until 1624. These first colonists were brought in to provided
food, timber, and skills for the trading company.
In 1625-6, it was decided to have a more permanent
presence. Peter Minuet bought Manhattan Island and
created a settlement there.