Trading Flashcards
Discuss the major developments in Dutch economy
Trade in the West and East Indies only made up about 10% of Gross National Product
The Fluyt Ship with a narrow deck and a wide hull to be able to carry more goods while keeping taxes low
What was Mother Trade
Mother Trade Took Place on the Baltic Sea this was the backbone of the economy
Bulk carrying (grain, timber), from the 1590’s onwards also rich trades
Taking over the rich trades from England and the Hanseatic League
Exporting wine, salt, textile, spices and dairy to Sweden, Poland, Prussia, Northern Germany, the Baltic states
And fur, gun powder, iron and weapons back to Amsterdam (and from there all over Europe)
Outline the whereabouts of the Dutch in the world
South East Asia
India
Japan
The Americas
Oceania
South Africa
How did the Dutch Justify Slavery
The Biblical Story
Noah becomes drunk and lies uncovered in his tent.
Ham, one of Noah’s sons, sees his father naked and tells his brothers, Shem and Japheth, who respectfully cover Noah without looking.
Noah curses Canaan (Ham’s son), declaring:
“Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
The curse was interpreted by some as condemning the descendants of Ham to servitude.
Historical Misinterpretation
Equating Ham’s Descendants with Africans:
Over time, some commentators, including Dutch theologians, misinterpreted the story to suggest that Ham’s descendants were African peoples. They claimed that the curse justified the enslavement of Africans, though the Bible itself does not specify a connection between Ham’s descendants and Africa.
Perpetual Servitude:
The curse was interpreted as a divine mandate for the perpetual enslavement of Ham’s descendants, legitimizing the transatlantic slave trade and colonial slavery.
