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used to nominate and rank-order the candidates only a few weeks earlier could be suspended without serious objection, indicates how important the company's directors considered the matter. As a result of the proposal, three new names were put forward: Abraham Trouwers, a director from the Amsterdam chamber and the company's Rekenmeester; Nicholas Koeckebacker, Schepen (Alderman) from Delft; and Hendrik Haecxs, a merchant living in Amsterdam. It was hoped that these additions would help to solve the problem and help balance the council. But would any of these three individuals accept? Hendrik Haecxs' story is well known among Dutch scholars thanks to a lengthy diary he began at this time. 68 Although almost nothing is known of his life, it is clear that Haecxs had lived and worked as a merchant in Brazil during the early 1640s. He appears in the minutes of the Hoge ende Secrete Raad as early as 1641, when he signed a petition complaining about the preferential treatment afforded to Jewish merchants in the colony, and again in April 1644, when he received payment of 475 guilders in return for goods specified to be “for the service of his Excellency,” meaning Maurits. 69 It seems likely that this service brought Haecxs to the attention of the company's directors. Haecxs recorded in his diary that he was informed of the company's interest in his service by a friend while he was attending a wedding on June 29, 1645. A week later, three directors, including Loten, visited his house to communicate directly the wishes of the Heren XIX: After ripe deliberation, they had unanimously voted my name, in order (if it pleased me) that I should take a place in the Hoge ende Secrete Raad, not doubting whether this would be an honor to God, an improvement of the desolate state of the company, as well as the many widows and orphans supported thereby, and my own reputation. 70                                                          68 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654).” 69 NA 1.05.01.01 inv.nr. 56, Overgekomen brieven en papieren van Brazilie, packet for 1641 and NA 1.05.01.01 inv.nr. 70, Minuten van de Hoge en Secrete Raed in Brazilie, entry for April 30, 1644. I must thank Lucia Xavier for finding and calling my attention to these sources. 70 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654),” entry for July 5, 1645, 150. “na veel rijpe deliberatie mijne persoon eenparichlijck hadden gestemt, om (soo Ick wilde) mij plaetse   157
Haecxs thanked them for the honor they had offered him and requested time to think it over. Loten made clear that he would have to make a quick decision: the meeting of the Heren XIX was scheduled to close in two days time and a resolution would be needed before then. 71 Haecxs thus was given only until the following morning to give his reply; the directors furnished him with copies of the two resolutions detailing the structure of the new Council and then departed with the following words: Considering what fine members, indeed the best in our land, that hope for and work to gain this position, and that we on the contrary come bearing the request to you, like a servant approaching his master, we hope that the prospect of spreading God's honor and the many attractions of the position shall animate you to accept, and that this visit shall not be a waste of our efforts. Certainly it would bring you honor and reputation, along with great profit, the adoration of all the world, and undying renown. 72 Haecxs agonized over the decision, weighing the duty he felt to assist the company against the risks and hardships of leaving his family, friends, and business for so long. But when Loten returned the following morning Haecxs answered in the affirmative: he would go to Brazil. Loten and the other two directors congratulated him and shared their sentiment that this would be most welcome news to bring back to the Heren XIX. 73 Three days earlier Abraham Trouwers also had accepted the company's offer, which meant that the council was now complete, save the office of President. Whereas Haecxs' case                                                          van Ho. en Secrete Raet aldaer t’ offereren en op te dragen, niet twijffelende of Ick soude sulcx tot Gods eere, tot wederoprechtinge van den desolaten Staet der Comp. en veeler weduwen en weesen geinteresseerde en reputatie van min eijgen persoon gewillichlijck op mij nemen.” 71 The historian L'Honoré Naber, who edited Haecxs' diary, believed that Haecxs was approached because of fears concerning a possible revolt in Brazil. This is true in the most general sense, but the proximate cause was the need to place more merchants on the High Council. See Ibid., 133. 72 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654),” entry for July 5, 1645, 151. “Considereert eens, wat fraije liedens, Jae de Beste van ons landt, dat selfs na dese Charge hoopen en veele vrunden utmaecken, daer wij u ter contrarij, ghelijc een serviteur sijn Matresse carresseert, coomen versoecken; soo dat wij hoopen, dat het voortplanten van Gods eere het veelvoudich suchten veeler geinteresseerden u sal animeren en wij geen verlooren moeijte en mogen doen. Sekerlijc, de eere en reputatie, als mede het groot profijt, en voorts van alle Werelt geadoreert te worden en sich daerdoor een onsterffelijcke renommee te maecken, en behoorde een lange utstel te begeren.” 73 Ibid., entry for July 6, 1645, 152.   158
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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
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Amsterdam or Middelburg. 29 In this
Page 117 and 118: (1566-1626), later burgemeester of
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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 and 166: None of the remaining records indic
Page 167: would be profitable and that their
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
Page 189 and 190: and close trade to private merchant
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
Page 217 and 218: 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
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Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Na
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1624-1654, edited by Marianne L. Wi
show all

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