Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

e handled without gloves.” 55 In his view, local Indians, Jewish settlers, and African slaves were
unlikely to welcome the Dutch and, even if they did, the company would soon find that
everything of value in the colony had been destroyed. Just as the Dutch had burned crops and
flooded lands in advance of Spanish troops in the early years of the Revolt, in Brazil the
Portuguese would burn the sugar mills in order to deprive the company of any stable source of
revenue. 56 In this, as in many other matters, Usselincx was largely correct. By 1635 little or no
new sugar had been planted, the colony's finances were in disarray, and much needed supplies
were not arriving fast enough to replenish depleted stocks.
During the course of the following year company officials and others in Brazil
increasingly became convinced that private merchants were to blame for this state of affairs.
Initially the Politique Raad—the civilian political council charged with overseeing the colony's
affairs—had supported opening the trade to private merchants. With control over the vast
majority of the sugar trade, and with the trade in provisions, munitions, and Brazilwood reserved
for the company, the council did not expect that private trade would pose a serious threat. 57 But
their view quickly changed. By the summer of 1636, members of the council were calling on the
States General to take action to exclude private traders and to close the trade. Their arguments
were devoted in part to commercial issues, but far more important was their concern that free
trade was sewing disunity, undermining the company's authority, and threatening its ability to
consolidate colonial rule.
“We recommend to your excellencies that the trade [to Brazil] be closed,” stated the
council's letter of June 11, 1636, signed by Jacob Stachower, Elias Herckmans, Willem Schot,
55 NA 1.01.05, inv.nr. 9409. Brief van Willem Usselincx, exhibited in the States General on April 13, 1620. “Wat
Bresillien belangt dat en is geen cat om sonder hantscoenen aen te tasten, te meer als den Conninck van
Spaignendaer twee offe drie duysent oude soldaten na toeschicte.”
56 Ibid.
57 Wätjen, O Dominio Colonial Hollandez no Brasil: Um capitulo da historia colonial do seculo XVII, 449.
188