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6. Conclusion The scale of these problems became clear only a few days after Haecxs and the other councilors had taken the oath in the chambers of the States General. On November 27, a bundle of letters from Brazil dated September 17, 1645 arrived carrying exceedingly bad news: soldiers loyal to the WIC had abandoned the Brazilian countryside and two of the most important coastal forts had fallen into the hands of the Portuguese rebels. 95 The news, itself already two months old, caused a great commotion throughout the United Provinces. 96 It also caused a stir amongst the members of the new High Council. As early as December 4 the company's directors, then gathered in The Hague, caught wind that Schonenborch might be having reservations about traveling to Brazil and immediately dispatched two directors to speak with him. 97 The next week Haecxs was summoned to appear before the Heren XIX in person. 98 Claes Simonsz. Dolphyn, a director from Enkhuizen, berated Haecxs for a letter he had sent to Van Beaumont in which he apparently suggested, “That the company would be better served by sending soldiers instead of regents [to Brazil].” 99 The discussion the following day was even more heated. Haecxs was directed to sit between the chair of the meeting and Amsterdam's lawyer, Gysbert Rudolphij. He was then asked whether he remained committed to his earlier resolution to travel to Brazil and whether he was prepared to depart as soon as the first relief ship was ready. Haecxs evidently                                                          95 These can be found in NA 1.05.01.01 inv.nr. 59, Overgekomen brieven en papieren van Brazilie, bundle for 1644- 1645. Copies can also be found in the archive of the States General, NA 1.01.04 inv.nr. 5758. See Chapter Two for an analysis of these documents. 96 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654).”, entry for November 27, 1645. 97 NA 1.05.01.01, inv.nr. 2*, entries for December 4 and 6, 1645. 98 This was most likely the so-called Haags Besoigne, an annual set of meetings at The Hague during the winter that usually involved ten, rather than the full complement of nineteen, company directors. See Den Heijer, De Geoctrooieerde Compagnie, 129. 99 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654),” entry for December 13, 1645. “seijde, Jae, en datter een brief van mijn aen d’Hr. Beaumont was geschreven, daerin Ick mijne onlusten genoech deede blijcken, en waren dit de woorden aan Bemont geschreven, dat de Comp. nu eer soldaten als regenten derwarts diende te senden. Dit hadden die Seignoor heel qualijc genomen.”   167
wavered, for De Laet, who was many years his senior and could be quite severe when he wanted to be, immediately demanded to know whether Haecxs planned to stay, or to go. 100 “That is sharp,” Haecxs apparently replied, before indicating that if the company would not even discuss the implications of the new situation in Brazil it was at liberty to offer his place on the council to someone else. 101 This unexpected response must have greatly worried the company's directors, for they asked Haecxs to step out of the council chamber and, after an hour's discussion, approached him with what Haecxs described as a far more conciliatory tone. He promised not to waste the company's time, but requested a few days to consider his position. After consulting his friends and associates in Amsterdam, “all of whom gave the same answer,” he returned to The Hague on December 21 and reconfirmed his commitment to serve on the High Council. 102 The company's problems with Schonenborch turned out to be even more serious. On December 18 he sent a letter to the States General noting the “changed circumstances” in Brazil and informing them that he planned to ask the Heren XIX to release him from his obligation to serve as President of the High Council. 103 This request was denied, and after repeated consultations with senior company directors, including Louys and De Laet, Schonenborch finally agreed to abide by his oath. 104 He and Haecxs ultimately both departed the United Provinces for                                                          100 See, for example, the tone of De Laet's letter to Kiliaen van Rensselaer dated February 8, 1641 in Van Laer, Van Rensselaer Bowier Manuscripts, 539-542. 101 Haecxs, “Het Dagboek van Hendrik Haecxs, Lid van den Hoogen Raad van Brazilië (1645-1654),” entry for December 14, 1645. “Hierop soo begon De Laet te seggen, dat Ick sonder eenige conditien soude willen verclaren, of Ick wilde gaen of dat Ick wilde blijven, daerop Ick antwoorde: Dat is scherp.” 102 Ibid., entry for December 15, 1645. See also NA 1.05.01.01, inv.nr. 2*, entry for December 21, 1645. 103 NA 1.01.04, inv.nr. 5758, fol. 207, letter from Wolter Schonenborch to the States General. “Want gelijck u. ho. mo. kennelijck is, hoe de zaken aldaer tot enen openbaren oorlog uitgevallen zijnde, niet allene de conquesten van de Comp. ten platten lande, maer oock enige importante forten, so doer correspondentie metten vijant, als met gewelt van wapenen sijn t’ondergebracht: De voornaemste hoofden van de militie, neffens een groot getaal soldaten verslagen, gevangen ende door den vijant gedebauchert; het Recijff genouschsam gebloqueert met apparent pericul van meerder swarijcheijt, indien daer een prompt ende vigourens secours, deselve niet werde voorgekomen. Dese en meer consideratien, is ten regard van den staet in t’gemeen, als vor mijn in t’particulier hijruit resulterende, hebben mij doen resolveren, om de heren Gedeputeerd Bewinthebberen, alhijr sijnde vergadert wegen de entfangene eere te bedancken ende mijne entslaginge te versoucken.” 104 NA 1.05.01.01, inv.nr. 2*, entries for December 12, 13, and 21, 1645.   168
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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
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(1566-1626), later burgemeester of
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placed next to his description of t
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That these two provisions remained
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provinces. The creation of the WIC
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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 and 168: would be profitable and that their
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: Haecx recorded in his diary that on
Page 181 and 182: privately to Brazil, legally or ill
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
Page 193 and 194: means to capitalize the company wit
Page 195 and 196: director than his trade to Brazil,
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
Page 219 and 220: Provinces, plus smaller fees of 3%
Page 221 and 222: exclude private merchants from the
Page 223 and 224: clamoring for slaves. 136 The probl
Page 225 and 226: expedition's success, along with de
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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
Page 285 and 286:
Goffman, Erving. Frame Analysis: An
Page 287 and 288:
Jonge, J. K. J. De Oorsprong van Ne
Page 289 and 290:
Noorlander, Danny L. “Serving God
Page 291 and 292:
Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Na
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1624-1654, edited by Marianne L. Wi
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