Dutch Atlantic Connections,1680-1795
The circulation of people, goods and ideas in the Atlantic world, 1680-1795
The early modern era witnessed the emergence of an integrated Atlantic world connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, including the West Indies. These parts of the western hemisphere were connected by the circulation of people, goods and ideas. This integrated Atlantic world disappeared in a few decades after the Revolutionary era due to several causes, particularly the end of the slave trade and the decolonisation of the Americas.
In recent years, it has increasingly become clear that Dutch activities in this Atlantic world were of far greater significance than historians hitherto assumed. This proposal focuses on the Dutch dimension of the integrated Atlantic World between 1680 and 1795. The pivotal and indeed exceptional role of the Dutch in the Atlantic world was not one of empire-builders, but one of middlemen and brokers, who greased the Atlantic economic machine with unrivalled credit facilities and a myriad of commodities and distribution channels.
This project aims to analyze how the Dutch networks functioned in this Atlantic world system and to explain to what extent and why these networks changed during this period. The analysis relates to the circulation of people and goods as well as to that of ideas. The project will not only generate more insight into the relevance of the Atlantic dimension to Dutch history, but will also contribute to the rapidly expanding international field of ‘Atlantic history’ at large.
The research will focus on four (clusters of) pivotal centres at both sides of the Atlantic (Amsterdam/Rotterdam; Paramaribo; Curaçao/St. Eustatius; Elmina). Each of these centres is considered to be a major junction in the flow of people, goods and ideas connecting the three continents of the Dutch Atlantic and its multinational environment.
The project will result in a synthesizing monograph and an edited volume, two monographs, a number of articles in international and national journals, two doctoral. dissertations (one of which primarily financed from other sources), a number of papers at international conferences, and digital databases. These publications will be mostly in English in order to contribute to the burgeoning field of Atlantic studies.
Duration of the project: 1 April 2008 - 31 March 2013
29-30 June: seminar 'The Impact of the Atlantic Revolutions on Curaçao, 1795-1800’. By invitation only.
Advisory board
Prof.dr. Piet Emmer (Leiden University); p.c.emmer@let.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. Gerrit Knaap (advisor, Institute of Netherlands History): gerrit.knaap@inghist.nl
Prof.dr. John McCusker (Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas): jmccuske@trinity.edu
Prof.dr. Johannes Postma (Mankato State University, Minnesota):johannes.postma@mnsu.edu
Prof.dr. Claudia Schnurmann (University of Hamburg): claudia.schnurmann@uni-hamburg.de
Prof.dr. Alex van Stipriaan (Erasmus University): stipriaan@fhk.eur.nl
Dr. Wim Klooster (Clark University, Worcester MA): wklooster@clarku.edu
Prof.dr. Ramón Aizpurua (Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas): raizpurua@gmail.com
Dr. Ana Crespo (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid) acrespo@ih.csic.es
Prof.dr. Silvia Marzagalli (Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis): marzagalli@wanadoo.fr
Composition of the research team
Prof.dr. Gert Oostindie (principal applicant, KITLV): oostindie@kitlv.nl
Prof.dr. Karel Davids (co-applicant, VU University Amsterdam): ca.davids@let.vu.nl
Prof.dr. Femme Gaastra (co-applicant, Leiden University): f.s.gaastra@let.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. Henk den Heijer (co-applicant and researcher, Leiden University): h.j.den.heijer@let.leidenuniv.nl
Dr. Victor Enthoven (researcher, VU University Amsterdam): v.enthoven@let.vu.nl
Drs. Han Jordaan (researcher, Leiden University, KITLV, Institute of Netherlands History): Han.Jordaan@inghist.nl
Karwan Fatah, MA (Phd-researcher, Leiden University): karwan.fatah@gmail.com
Drs. Jeroen van der Vliet (Phd-researcher): jeroen.vandervliet@den.nl
Carien Meijerman (intern DANS): read more ..>> about DANS.
Email: kitlv@kitlv.nl
Other websites:
http://www.dans.knaw.nl/nl/oude_data_over_atlantsche_scheepvaart_komen_online/
Een nieuwe kijk op de historische handel met de West
Full project proposal in pdf.
Selected Publications
Victor Enthoven, 'Dutch Maritime Strategy', in: D. Stoker, J.J. Hagan & M.T. McMaster (eds), Strategy in the War for American Independence: A Global Approach (London: Routledge,2009) 176-201.
Henk den Heijer, 'Ten geleide' in: Erik van der Doe e.a. (eds), Sailing Letters Journaal II. De smeekbede van een oude slavin en andere verhalen uit de West (zutphen: Walburg 2009) 7-11.
PDF-document: Den_Heijer_Inleiding_sailing_letters_journaal_2.pdf
