Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University
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was published in Leiden in November 1644. 105 In a short section at the end of the book, De Laet offered almost thirty pages of calculations to establish the total monetary value of the damage the company had done to the Republic’s greatest rival, the King of Spain. By closely examining these two documents, and placing them within the context of the company’s lobbying campaign, the chapter exposes competing theories of value and shows the growing importance of quantitative analysis in mercantile rhetoric. Against the backdrop of the Tulip Bubble in 1637, it also shows the interaction between fact and fantasy in arguments over colonial finance. At the end of December, and thanks in part to De Laet and Specx’s efforts, the States General approved funding for a relief fleet to sail to Brazil. A brief conclusion draws these threads together to re-evaluate explanations for the eventual failure of the company and its most important colony. As an alternative to the theory that the company was torn apart by the divergent interests of Amsterdam and Zeeland, it suggests that tensions between merchants and noblemen—already visible in the early 1610s—grew during the 1640s. Noblemen bridled at the prospect of working “in the service of merchants” and merchants, especially in Holland, opposed ceding power either to noblemen or to the States General. Efforts to centralize control over the company and its colonies, coincident with Frederik Hendrik's efforts to centralize foreign policy more generally, were ultimately unsuccessful. 106 This proved decisive in the period 1644-45, when Brazil lost an able administrator and was left without senior leadership to prevent or at least stem the Portuguese revolt. Amsterdam's merchant elite did indeed thwart efforts to save Dutch Brazil, but this only followed a more fundamental failure to align social and political interests in favor of what was in fact a broadly popular imperial effort. 105 Johannes de Laet, Iaerlyck Verhael‚ 4 vols. (’s-Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff, 1931-1937). 106 Geyl, The Netherlands in the Seventeenth Century, 121-150; Israel, The Dutch Republic, 537-546. 35
5. A Note on Sources This dissertation draws on a wealth of either new or little-studied archival material in Dutch, English, and American libraries and archives. It has been indicated already that many sources for reconstructing the history of the WIC were destroyed in the nineteenth century. 107 The most important remaining documents are to be found in the company's archive in The Hague, many of them preserved from the collection of the Zeeland chamber. These include, most significantly, minutes from the meetings of the Heren XIX (1623-24); an incomplete series of the board’s ordinary and secret correspondence (1629-57); a nearly complete series of correspondence, reports, ship registers, and other documents sent from Brazil (1630-54); complete resolutions of the High Council in Recife (1635-54); a complete set of resolution of the Zeeland chamber of the company (1626-74); two years of resolutions of the Amsterdam chamber (1635-36); the register of shares purchased in the Amsterdam chamber (1623-26) and supplementary capital invested in Zeeland (1636-37); and diverse letters, reports, maps, and other documents relating to the Caribbean, the Wild Coast, Guinea, Angola, and New Netherland. 108 The primary manuscript on which this study is based is not from the company's archive, however, but from the archives of the States General. 109 It is an untitled set of ordinary minutes from the meeting of the Heren XIX in Middelburg, Zeeland from September 9 to October 16, 107 An important new guide to documents in Dutch archives and libraries pertaining to the history of Brazil—and thus to WIC history more generally—has emerged as part of the "Mauritiana" project jointly funded by the Brazilian and Dutch governments. See Marianne L. Wiesebron, Brazilie in de Nederlandse Archieven (1624-1654): Inleiding op de Nederlanden in de Zeventiende Eeuw en de Collecties in Nederlandse Archieven en Bibliotheken, 3 vols. (Leiden: Research School CNWS, 2004-2008). 108 NA 1.05.01.01, Oude Westindische Compagnie, 1621-1674. 109 Theo Thomassen, “Instrumenten van de Macht: de Staten-Generaal en hun Archieven, 1576-1796” (Academisch Proefschrift, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2009). Unfortunately this work was brought to my attention too late to incorporate its findings into this dissertation. 36
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5. A Note on Sources<br />
This dissert<strong>at</strong>ion draws on a wealth of either new or little-studied archival m<strong>at</strong>erial in Dutch,<br />
English, and American libraries and archives. It has been indic<strong>at</strong>ed already th<strong>at</strong> many sources for<br />
reconstructing the history of the WIC were destroyed in the nineteenth century. 107 The most<br />
important remaining documents are to be found in the company's archive in The Hague, many of<br />
them preserved from the collection of the Zeeland chamber. These include, most significantly,<br />
minutes from the meetings of the Heren XIX (1623-24); an incomplete series of the board’s<br />
ordinary and secret correspondence (1629-57); a nearly complete series of correspondence,<br />
reports, ship registers, and other documents sent from Brazil (1630-54); complete resolutions of<br />
the High Council in Recife (1635-54); a complete set of resolution of the Zeeland chamber of the<br />
company (1626-74); two years of resolutions of the Amsterdam chamber (1635-36); the register<br />
of shares purchased in the Amsterdam chamber (1623-26) and supplementary capital invested in<br />
Zeeland (1636-37); and diverse letters, reports, maps, and other documents rel<strong>at</strong>ing to the<br />
Caribbean, the Wild Coast, Guinea, Angola, and New Netherland. 108<br />
The primary manuscript on which this study is based is not from the company's archive,<br />
however, but from the archives of the St<strong>at</strong>es General. 109 It is an untitled set of ordinary minutes<br />
from the meeting of the Heren XIX in Middelburg, Zeeland from September 9 to October 16,<br />
<br />
107 An important new guide to documents in Dutch archives and libraries pertaining to the history of Brazil—and<br />
thus to WIC history more generally—has emerged as part of the "Mauritiana" project jointly funded by the Brazilian<br />
and Dutch governments. See Marianne L. Wiesebron, Brazilie in de Nederlandse Archieven (1624-1654): Inleiding<br />
op de Nederlanden in de Zeventiende Eeuw en de Collecties in Nederlandse Archieven en Bibliotheken, 3 vols.<br />
(Leiden: Research School CNWS, 2004-2008).<br />
108 NA 1.05.01.01, Oude Westindische Compagnie, 1621-1674.<br />
109 Theo Thomassen, “Instrumenten van de Macht: de St<strong>at</strong>en-Generaal en hun Archieven, 1576-1796” (Academisch<br />
Proefschrift, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2009). Unfortun<strong>at</strong>ely this work was brought to my <strong>at</strong>tention too l<strong>at</strong>e to<br />
incorpor<strong>at</strong>e its findings into this dissert<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
36
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