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quarrels and affronts.” As merchants they were jealous of his status and incapable of showing him the deference he deserved. 63 It was in many ways a replay of the sentiments expressed when the WIC was founded in the early 1620s. As we saw in the Chapter 2, whereas the States General and the Prince of Orange preferred a more prominent role for the nobility in governing the company's affairs, and a more centralized system for administering the colonies, merchants and city magistrates were loath to allow their business interests to be subordinated to the militaristic and lavish tastes of the court. Now, two decades later, this same conflict was plaguing the effort to find a President for Brazil. Alexander wished the Company well, but noted that: Little should be expected, even if the wisest man in the land were sent. I see no hope for there to be a dictator, and also know no man in the state who would be fit for that post. And I am therefore resolved to leave this advantage to someone else, who seeks it, and the honor of the Presidency to he who shall merit it and be chosen lawfully. 64 4. Magistrates, Merchants, and the Politics of Administration Naturally, at least some of the company's directors saw the problem differently than did Alexander van der Capellen: although worried about filling the office of President, they also were concerned that the new council contain adequate representation from the merchant community. Such representation was, they believed, the only way to ensure that the colony                                                          63 Willem Frederik, Gloria Parendi: Dagboeken Van Willem Frederik, Stadhouder Van Friesland, Groningen, En Drenthe. 1643-1649, 1651-1654 (Den Haag: Nederlands Historisch Genootschap, 1995), entry for August 9, 1643. “Dat de [Westindische] Compagnie noch op hem pretendeert, daerom Kijn hem geraeden heeft sooveul te sijn [zien] te bekomen als hij kan, wanneer hij vandaer gaet, want van de coopluyden heeft hij niet te verwachten als querelen, questien, affronten, want de coopluyden mit luyden van fatsoen niet om kunnen gaen.” 64 Van der Capellen, Gedenkschriften van Jonkheer Alexander van der Capellen, Heere van Aartsbergen, Boedelhoff, en Mervelt, vol. 2, 113. “Men magh die wat levende houden, maer groot voordeel verwachte ick daervan niet, al is 't, dat de wyste man van 't lant gesonden wort. Ick sie geen hoope, om tot een Dictateur ten kunnen komen, ende kenne oock niemant in den Staet, die daertoe bequaem soude wesen. Ende bin daeromme geresolveert het voordeel te laeten aen die geene, die het soeken, ende d'eere van President te gunnen aen dien geene, die het sal meriteeren, ende dien geene, die daertoe wettelick gekooren sal worden, te wenschen wysheyt om soodanigh amt wel uyttevoeren, ende macht om te kunnen doen, 't geene ten besten van de Compagnie sal strecken.”   155
would be profitable and that their own investment in the company, and traders' interests more generally, would be protected. These concerns are most apparent in the process to select the four councilors that would serve with the President in Brazil. The process to select these individuals began concurrently with the selection of the President, but made headway far more quickly. On June 27, Charles Loten, the Amsterdam director who evidently had been charged with approaching candidates, reported to the Heren XIX that three individuals had already excused themselves. These included Pieter Dircksz. Ben, formerly Burgemeester of Hoorn and a director in the North Holland chamber of the company, Jacob Schagen Hoochland, Burgemeester of Alkmaar, and Anthony de Hout, a merchant from Dordrecht. Loten also reported, however, that two individuals had agreed to accept the position: Michiel van Goch, Stadspensionaris of Vlissingen, and Simon van Beaumont, one of the company's two lawyers and Secretaris of the city of Dordrecht. 65 This was welcome news, but it raised an unanticipated problem. A discussion immediately ensued in which it was observed that both Van Goch and Van Beaumont “were persons with more experience in government and politics than in trade, and that the others who had more knowledge of trade already had excused themselves.” 66 A proposal was therefore put forward to address this deficit by supplementing the existing list. This proposal was approved just two days later—a minor miracle given the often-glacial pace of decision-making—since it was concluded that, “one or two persons who understand trade must be in the High Council.” 67 The fact that agreement on this point could be reached so swiftly, and that the elaborate process                                                          65 NA 1.01.07 inv.nr. 12564.17, Extract van de vergadering van de Heren XIX, 27 Juny 1645. On Van Goch, see Boxer, The Dutch in Brazil, 1624-1654, 266–267. 66 NA 1.01.07 inv.nr. 12564.17, Extract van de vergadering van de Heren XIX, entry for June 27, 1645. “syn persoonen meer ervaren in t stuck van regeringe en polityc, als wel in de coopmanschap, ende dat d'andere die van t voorz. stuck van de coopmanschap meer kenisse hadden sich hebben geexcuseert.” 67 Ibid., entry for June 29, 1645. “ende noch ongesondeert persoonen soude wenden afgegaen ende een of twe persoonen haer de coopmanschap verstaende onder de raden van de Hoge regeringe behooren te wesen is by provisie vast te stellen dat der een coopman onder sal wesen.”   156
Page 1 and 2:
GOVERNING THE FREE SEA: THE DUTCH W
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Abstract This dissertation takes a
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IV. “In the Service of Merchants
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for making the archive such an enjo
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Institute for International and Reg
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List of Tables 1. Delegates to the
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Illustration 1. Het West-Indische H
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eported to have said; any money sen
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nexus of commerce and power for whi
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Europe the Dutch Republic is emblem
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Although the VOC frequently used vi
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Van Dillen argued that over time th
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the Western Hemisphere.” 46 Far f
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anxieties it generated, and what pl
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capital from Zeeland in the south a
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number of document series within th
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character of Dutch political instit
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Illustration 2. Vergaderzaal van he
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ecords must be traced backwards—a
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of note.” 93 But it is clear that
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formative periods in the company’
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enhance the role of central authori
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trade in which the company had only
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5. A Note on Sources This dissertat
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1645. 110 The manuscript is found i
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period 1620-1636. 115 For the remai
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at São Salvador da Bahia de Todos
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the revolt pushed the colony’s fa
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Amsterdam newspapers did publish st
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year by the Hoge ende Secrete Raad
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the Portuguese, had crossed the Rio
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ead aloud, two resolutions were pas
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On Wednesday, the same day the ship
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with subtle differences of fact and
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The group consisted of Henderick Sc
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XIX. Each chamber selected delegate
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Inden naeme den heeren amen Saturn.
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Middelburg’s decidedly incestuous
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Illustration 6. Portrait of Johanne
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crucial role that he played in its
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When the meeting resumed on Monday
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and to steer the discussion towards
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were chosen from among the ranks of
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emphasized the considerable sums in
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4. Johannes de Laet as “Informati
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devote myself to my books.” 129 A
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interests were adequately represent
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De Laet's substantive work in the A
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that, even at the beginning, De Lae
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De Laet’s presence at the meeting
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confessions under interrogation and
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Brazil this meant the Heren XIX, wh
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Illustration 7. Portrait of Willem
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peaceful settlement along the fring
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By analyzing the successive changes
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convene in Amsterdam; the following
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This formulation, which must previo
Page 115 and 116: Amsterdam or Middelburg. 29 In this
Page 117 and 118: (1566-1626), later burgemeester of
Page 119 and 120: placed next to his description of t
Page 121 and 122: That these two provisions remained
Page 123 and 124: provinces. The creation of the WIC
Page 125 and 126: The result was that the delegates f
Page 127 and 128: to the original charter gave the ch
Page 129 and 130: thus shows the political—as oppos
Page 131 and 132: 1/10 of the equipagie and two direc
Page 133 and 134: taken place. Once the draft letter
Page 135 and 136: Table 5. Seating for the delegation
Page 137 and 138: phase of the company’s Groot Dess
Page 139 and 140: to be understood the sending over o
Page 141 and 142: But by far the most important trans
Page 143 and 144: Illustration 8. Map of Mauritstad a
Page 145 and 146: geographers whose works remain a tr
Page 147 and 148: important military, administrative,
Page 149 and 150: noblemen played in overseas adminis
Page 151 and 152: good order, police and justice, and
Page 153 and 154: the council's size and authority, d
Page 155 and 156: servants. These individuals may not
Page 157 and 158: At this point the election was comp
Page 159 and 160: (Receiver General) of the United Pr
Page 161 and 162: Why did these candidates all refuse
Page 163 and 164: Alexander's name was almost certain
Page 165: None of the remaining records indic
Page 169 and 170: Haecxs thanked them for the honor t
Page 171 and 172: On June 22, 1645—just a week befo
Page 173 and 174: 5. Wolter Schonenborch and the Ritu
Page 175 and 176: with the WIC presumably did not go
Page 177 and 178: Haecx recorded in his diary that on
Page 179 and 180: wavered, for De Laet, who was many
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Page 183 and 184: 1. Introduction Chapter Five Free T
Page 185 and 186: left relatively open. 6 Where monop
Page 187 and 188: community saw greater profits in pr
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Page 191 and 192: trouble paying its bills, especiall
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Page 197 and 198: With the verhoging stalled, and ani
Page 199 and 200: e handled without gloves.” 55 In
Page 201 and 202: “walking the land half-naked” f
Page 203 and 204: While the resolution as a whole sho
Page 205 and 206: along with the two powerful Amsterd
Page 207 and 208: Cornelis Melijn, of a patroonschap
Page 209 and 210: this measure, he said, “no one in
Page 211 and 212: maintaining the company's solvency,
Page 213 and 214: colony, overestimated the number of
Page 215 and 216: And Maurits offered another argumen
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Stellingwerf, who sat in the States
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Provinces, plus smaller fees of 3%
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exclude private merchants from the
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clamoring for slaves. 136 The probl
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expedition's success, along with de
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trading locations on the Gold Coast
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directly from New Netherland, and s
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over trade was simply the projectio
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the area in which the company was b
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had not yet been renewed. 4 As the
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to the Dutch state, and that this d
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ookkeeping from late-fifteenth cent
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ambitions. 21 Although neither Spec
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expenses at each of the company's c
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included. 34 In Specx’s estimatio
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calculations yielded a profit of 41
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notes on these documents, suggest t
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It was, of course, a fiction. With
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to hang from the body [...] This sh
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van West-Indien (New World, or a De
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title page of the revised edition a
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It occurred to me that these miracu
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third in the Kort Verhael. This rep
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This extraordinary conclusion might
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enemy” and the positive effects o
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appeared in the late 1630s in the c
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versus settlement. He was also more
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An exceptionally cold winter delaye
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failure of Dutch imperialism from t
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that focuses on political and imper
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support to the WIC, but they also i
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Maurits predicted and which was not
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British Library Additional Manuscri
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Burke, Peter. A Social History of K
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Goffman, Erving. Frame Analysis: An
Page 287 and 288:
Jonge, J. K. J. De Oorsprong van Ne
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Noorlander, Danny L. “Serving God
Page 291 and 292:
Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Na
Page 293:
1624-1654, edited by Marianne L. Wi
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