Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

company's general meeting. Article 23 of the draft charter indicated that Amsterdam would
contribute eight persons, Zeeland four, and the Maas and North Holland each two. In the case of
the VOC, the seventeenth delegate was always selected by one of the non-Amsterdam chambers
in a system of rotation designed to ensure that Amsterdam could never control an absolute
majority. But in the 1606 draft, this formula was not adopted. After the words “understanding
that the seventeenth person…” the anonymous scribe left only a blank line. 22 From this we can
infer that the commission recognized the need to check Amsterdam’s power, but could reach no
agreement on who should cast the deciding vote.
This question was resolved several years later, in 1614, when negotiations resumed at the
behest of merchants in Holland. 23 The decisive language can be traced directly to Johan van
Oldenbarnevelt, the Landsadvocaat (Executive Administrator in the States of Holland) and the
most important political figure in the United Provinces. Although Van Oldenbarnevelt opposed
any steps that would offend Spain and re-ignite the war, he faced considerable pressure to protect
Dutch merchants from Iberian aggression, especially in Guinea. Perhaps knowing that these
terms would prove unacceptable, or perhaps to ensure his own influence if the negotiations
succeeded, he amended the draft to provide a more prominent role for the States General. On a
copy of the 1606 draft to be found amongst his papers at the National Archive in The Hague,
Van Oldenbarnevelt filled in the blank line in Article 23 with the words “shall be appointed by
us,” referring to the States General. 24
22 Ibid., 56. “Welverstaende dat de seventhien personen…”
23 Heijer, “The Twelve Years’ Truce and the Founding of the Dutch West India Company”; Rees, Geschiedenis der
Staathuishoudkunde in Nederland tot het Einde der Achttiende Eeuw, 2:99.
24 “By ons werden gedeputeerd.” States of Holland, Collection of Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, NA 3.01.04 inv.nr.
3164, Article XVII. In this document van Oldenbarnevelt also resolved the question of who would select directors
from amongst the candidates presented by the hooftparticipanten, writing “by the magistrates” in the margin of
Article 13. In her study of Willem Usselincx, C. Lichtenburg argues that van Oldenbarnavelt was keen for the 1614
draft to be rejected. His work in connection with the WIC during this period warrants closer attention. See
Ligtenberg, Willem Usselincx.
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