Slavery and the Slave Trade Flashcards
Explain and discuss the main argument of Fatah Black and Van Rossem in their article about the importance of slavery for Dutch economy
Beyond Profitability: Even when individual voyages or companies were not profitable, the transatlantic slave trade stimulated significant economic activities in other sectors, such as shipbuilding, logistics, and trade goods production. These activities contributed to the broader Dutch economy.
Gross Margin as a Metric: By calculating the gross margin, the authors provide a comprehensive view of the revenues generated by the slave trade and its associated costs. This approach allows them to capture the broader economic contributions of the trade, such as wages, insurance, commissions, and the indirect benefits to industries supporting the trade.
Strategic Role of the Slave Trade: The Dutch slave trade was a critical component of the Atlantic economic system, supplying the coerced labor needed for the production of goods like sugar and tobacco in the Americas. The trade, despite its limited profitability, was strategically sustained because of its integral role in this system.
Economic Impact: The gross margin from the Dutch transatlantic slave trade between 1595 and 1829 is estimated at 63 to 79 million guilders. Most of this margin circulated within the Dutch economy, supporting a wide range of economic activities. The authors argue that this highlights the trade’s broader significance, even if its direct profitability was modest.
Critique of Traditional Metrics: Fatah-Black and Van Rossum critique earlier studies that assessed the slave trade’s importance based solely on profit rates. They argue this narrow focus overlooks the trade’s broader economic ripple effects.
Describe the Atlantic Trading Triangle
Iron and Clothing to Africa
Slaves to the Americas
Sugar Coffee and Tobacco to Nederland
Discuss to what extend the Dutch wealth was a national phenomenon
Economic Foundations: The Dutch Republic, as a whole, benefited from innovations in trade, finance, and maritime technology. The establishment of institutions like the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Amsterdam Stock Exchange marked the Netherlands as a global economic power. Urban centers, particularly in the western provinces, thrived on international trade, creating substantial wealth and solidifying the nation’s prominence on the world stage.
Urban vs. Rural Divide: Wealth was heavily concentrated in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delft, and Haarlem.
Explain and discuss how the medieval world thought about rich and poor
In the medieval world, attitudes toward wealth and poverty were shaped by religion, particularly Christianity. Poverty was often idealized as virtuous and spiritually closer to God, while wealth was seen as a potential moral danger, requiring responsible use for the common good. The feudal system entrenched economic disparity, viewing it as part of God’s ordained social hierarchy, with nobles controlling wealth and peasants laboring under them.
Charity was a key duty of the rich, reflected in almsgiving and support for the poor through the Church. However, excessive wealth or greed was condemned as sinful. The Church criticized usury and commerce, favoring land-based wealth, though growing trade and the rise of merchants later challenged these views. Overall, wealth and poverty were seen as natural but bound by moral obligations and religious duty.
Explain how the social system in the Dutch Republic and in Amsterdam was organized
The Dutch Republic’s social structure was not feudal but instead centered on urban life and commerce. Amsterdam, as a global trade hub, epitomized this system, with wealth and status often tied to economic success.
Top of the Social Order: The Regents
The regent class comprised wealthy merchants, bankers, and municipal leaders who controlled both local governance and commerce. They were often members of city councils (e.g., Amsterdam’s vroedschap) and influenced national politics through the States of Holland and the States General.
Regents were not a hereditary nobility but formed an oligarchy where wealth and connections sustained power across generations.
Merchant Class
Below the regents were the broader merchant elite, who amassed wealth through trade, shipping, and colonial enterprises such as the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
This class was influential in shaping Amsterdam’s economic and cultural identity, funding infrastructure, art, and charitable institutions.
Skilled Artisans and Craftsmen
A significant portion of the urban population consisted of artisans, craftsmen, and small-scale traders, who formed the backbone of the economy. They were organized into guilds, which regulated professions and protected their economic interests.
This group enjoyed a degree of stability and social mobility, benefiting from Amsterdam’s economic prosperity.
Working Class and Urban Poor
The lower classes included dockworkers, laborers, and domestic servants, who worked in industries supporting Amsterdam’s booming trade. Many lived in poverty and relied on charitable institutions for survival.
Amsterdam’s population included a substantial number of migrants, drawn by economic opportunities, who often occupied lower-tier jobs.
