VOC Voyages

Question 1

A) When did the Dutch became rich by doing what?

Answer 1

In the 16th & 17th century they became wealthy by being the middleman between the east and west by selling the the goods of the Portuguese.

Question 2

B) What does the VOC stand for?

Answer 2

Vereenigde Oost-Indiese Kompanje

Question 3

C) Why did the Duct start the VOC (5)

Answer 3

• The Dutch started to sail to the East
• Many small companies started sailing and trading
• A price war broke out
• They decide to join forces and start one company called the VOC
• In 1609 VOC were founded

Question 4

D) Who controlled the VOC?

Answer 4

• A board of 17 members, the Here XVII

Question 5

E) What did the VOC control?

Answer 5

They had the sole right to trade with the EAST

Question 6

F) Why did the VOC look for a refreshing station on their route to the east.

Answer 6

The journey to the east, around the Cape, took 6 months.
Lots of sailors died of the sickness scurvy (no fresh fruit and vegetables)
So they had to stop somewhere to get fresh food.

Question 7

G) What is Scurvy

Answer 7

Scurvy is a sickness you get when you don’t get fresh food like fruit and vegetables.

Question 8

H) Who found the Cape first and what did they do?

Answer 8

• The ship Nieuwe Haarlem in 1647 stopped in Table Bay. * They had to wait for the next ships to arrive in a year.
• They hunted and traded for cattle with the Khoi-Khoi.
• They discovered Robben Island.

Question 9

I) Who was Leendert Janszen

Answer 9

He was a shipwreck sailor who asked the Here XVII to setup a refreshing station in the Cape on the route to the East

Question 10

J) To who did the Here XVII offer the job to setup the Refreshing Station in the Cape

Answer 10

Leendert Janszen but he rejected the offer

Question 11

K) Who got the job to manage the refreshing station in Cape?

Answer 11

Jan Anthonisz van Riebeeck,

ship doctor of the Ciningh van Polen.

Question 12

L) Name the ships JvR took to the Cape

Answer 12

The Drommedaris
The Reijer
De Goede Hoop

Question 13

M) Name the ships who were delayed at the start

Answer 13

The Olifant

The Walvis

Question 14

N) When and where did JvR arrive in the Cape

Answer 14

Saturday, 6 April, 1652 in Table Bay

Question 15

O) Who were unhappy about JvR’s arrival

Answer 15

The Khoi-Khoi as they felt the Dutch are stealing their land.

Question 16

P) What did the ships bring to start a settlement in the Cape? (8)

Answer 16

They had:
Workers
Tools for carpentry, construction and crops
Food
Seeds
Weapons

Question 17

Q) Describe the life on a VOC ship according to the sailors

Answer 17

• The voyage took 3 months
• Sailors got sick - not enough fresh food & water
• Sailors had to be strong to survive
• Sailors ate biscuits with worms in that had rat urine on
• Water was yellow and stinking

Question 18

R) Why did JvR asked for slaves to be imported?

Answer 18

• There were a shortage of workers in the Cape,
• The Khoi-Khoi had a free & nomadic lifestyle, they could not be counted on to work.
• JvR pleaded with Kompanje to import slaves

Question 19

S) When and where were the 1st slaves from? And how many?

Answer 19

1657 first slaves came from Angola and Guinea in W-Africa.
Thereafter from Mozambique, Madagascar, Indie and spice Islands.
1658 - 230 slaves in Cape

Question 20

T) How many slaves were in the Cape?

Answer 20

There were more slaves than burgers in 1713

Question 21

U) Discuss the lives as slaves.

Answer 21

• Slaves were bought by their owners.
• They did not get a salary
• They could not go where they wanted
• Got punished if they did not listen to their owners.

Question 22

V) What rules did the VOC institute over the slaves?

Answer 22

• Slaves not allowed outside after 10 pm
• May not ride horse or wagon
• Not allowed to sing, whistle or make noise at night
• May not talk to other slaves at night
• If slave hit owner - he gets killed
• If cheeky with a burger he’ll be tied up and beaten with chains

Question 23

W) Who were the “Burgers”

Answer 23

They were the “free men”