Slavery and the Dutch economy, 1750–1800

This article presents the first methodologically grounded calculation of the weight of Atlantic slave-based activities in the Dutch economy of the second half of the eighteenth century. In this period, the Dutch Republic was one of the most developed commercial societies in Europe. The import, processing and export of slave-produced goods such as sugar, coffee and tobacco played an important role in this economy. In 1770, 5.2% of the GDP of the Dutch Republic and 10.36% of the GDP of its richest province Holland was based on Atlantic slavery. In this year, 19% of Dutch imports and (re-) export... Mehr ...