Slavery in a ‘Slave Free Enclave’? Historical Links between the Dutch Republic, Empire and Slavery, 1580s-1860s

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Dutch Republic was the centre of a worldwide economic and political empire connecting Europe, Asia and the Atlantic world. In Europe, the Dutch Republic was the destination of millions of European migrant labourers, many of who moved to overseas domains. Throughout the globe, the Republic was present through its navy, its private merchants and its chartered trading companies, often operating on a thin line between engaging in trade and waging war. Traditional historiography claimed the Dutch Republic as a ‘slave free enclave’. In addition, economi... Mehr ...