A 1608 treatise titled Naerder Bedenckingen, Over de zee-vaerdt, Coophandel ende Neeringhe, als mede de versekeringhe vanden Staet laid the intellectual groundwork for the Dutch West India Company. Written by Antwerp merchant Willem Usselincx, the document detailed how the Dutch could challenge Spanish and Portuguese economic dominance through the formation of a state-backed trading corporation.
Early Merchant Life in Antwerp
Born in 1567 in Antwerp, Usselincx lived through the collapse of the city during the late sixteenth century. Following the 1585 Spanish seizure, he witnessed a significant shift in population, as roughly 60,000 residents left while the city faced intense upheaval. During his earlier years, he spent time in Portugal, Spain, and the Azores, where he observed the systems by which those nations generated wealth through colonial expansion. These experiences formed the basis of his later economic strategies.
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Take the IQ test →Establishing the Dutch West India Company
Upon relocating to Middelburg and later Amsterdam, Usselincx advocated for the creation of a trading body to capture colonial territory. In 1621, he helped found the Dutch West India Company. Unlike many of his contemporaries who viewed the company solely as a vessel for profit, Usselincx possessed social aims. He intended to establish a colony called New Netherland, envisioned as a destination for thousands of Protestant migrants. However, the States-General provided insufficient support for this vision of a new society, favoring purely commercial exploitation instead.
The Swedish South Company and Delaware
Usselincx eventually moved to Sweden to pursue his colonial objectives with the backing of Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. He helped establish the Swedish South Company, an enterprise featuring a multinational group of shareholders. Between 1638 and 1655, the company facilitated 11 expeditions involving 14 voyages to Delaware. Despite receiving a tobacco monopoly from the Swedish king in 1641, the company faced mounting difficulties. The annexation of New Sweden by New Netherland in 1655 effectively crippled its operations, leading to its eventual dissolution in 1680.
Fast facts
- Born: 1567, Antwerp
- Died: 1647
- Nationality: Southern Netherlands
- Occupations: Writer, merchant, explorer
- Primary achievement: Founding father of the Dutch West India Company
- Language: Dutch
- Notable work: Naerder Bedenckingen, 1608
Questions readers ask
What was the main purpose of the Dutch West India Company according to Usselincx?
He intended to create a new society for Protestant migrants, though the States-General largely focused on the commercial capture of colonies from Spain and Portugal.
Why did the Swedish South Company cease operations?
After losing its tobacco monopoly in 1649 and experiencing the annexation of New Sweden by New Netherland in 1655, the company eventually dissolved in 1680.
