Willem Usselincx
Encyclopedia
Willem Usselincx was a Flemish
merchant, investor and diplomat who was instrumental in drawing both Dutch and Swedish attention to the importance of the New World. Usselincx was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch West India Company
(Dutch: Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie).
and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders
, one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium. Usselincx was born in Antwerp at a time of major upheaval and change. His life span covered the period of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) which was a revolt against Spain
resulting in the secession of seven provinces that came to form the Dutch Republic
. At the time of his birth, Antwerp was the most prominent harbor of Western Europe. The Port of Antwerp
is located on the right bank of the river Scheldt
, which is linked to the North Sea by the estuary Westerschelde. The 16th century has gone down in history as Antwerp’s Golden Age. Over the first half of the 16th century Antwerp grew to become the second largest European city north of the Alps by 1560.
The religious revolution of the Reformation
erupted in Antwerp with violent riots in August 1566. The Eighty Years' War followed shortly. The Spanish Crown succeeded in recapturing the important provinces of Flanders
and Brabant
, including the major port city of Antwerp. This reclaimed area became known as the Spanish Netherlands. In 1585, Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, had captured Antwerp after a long siege and sent its Protestant citizens into exile. The recognition of the independence of the United Provinces
stipulated that the Scheldt
should be closed to navigation, which destroyed Antwerp's trading activities.
, Portugal
and on the Azores
. There he saw the wealth that was produced by the Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Some time after the seize of Antwerp by the Spanish in 1585, Usselincx moved to The Netherlands, first to Middelburg
and later to Amsterdam
. He was persuaded that the Netherlands would win independence and should capture colonies from Spain and Portugal.
His book Naerder Bedenckingen, Over de zee-vaert/ Coophandel ende Neeringhe alsmede de versekeringhe vanden Staet deser vereenichde Landen/ inde teghenvoordighe Vrede-handelinghe met den Coninck van Spangnien ende de Aerts-hertoghen was first printed in 1608. This work translated into English as "Further reflections on the Navigation, Commerce and Trade, as also the assurance of the Government of those United Lands in the present Treaty of Peace with the King of Spain and the Archdukes, by a lover of real and constant peace", presented Usselincx's arguments for a West India trading company and made frequent reference to the Spanish power and source of wealth in the West Indies.
In 1621, Usselincx was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch West India Company
, an enterprise he had planned for many years. His intentions were not entirely commercial. He hoped to create a new and better society. He expected that thousands of Protestants would migrate to America. He did not wish so much to exploit the country, but rather to let arise a New Netherlands. In this secondary goal, he was insufficiently supported by the States-General of the Netherlands
.
to Swedish
efforts to found the colony which would later become New Sweden
(Swedish: Nya Sverige). Like his friend Usselincx, Peter Minuit had also been disappointed by the Dutch West India Company
and was replaced as governor of New Amsterdam
.
As early as 1626 , Usselinx had described the advantages to Sweden
of contributing in an overseas venture. He referred to the wealth acquired by Spain and The Netherlands in similar enterprises and extolled Sweden's resources for success in the marketplace. Usselinx received royal privileges from king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
for a trading company. The king commissioned Usselinx to solicit subscriptions for the Swedish South Company in Sweden and its territories.
Usselincx relocated from The Netherlands for Sweden but was unable to profit from his plans, despite the initial support of Axel Oxenstierna
, Swedish Lord High Chancellor. Wars and financial hard times stopped the company before it launched any ships. In 1637, Minuit made arrangements with the Swedish government to create the first Swedish colony in the New World. But by that time, Usselincx was largely financially ruined due to bad investments and unable to profit from his vision. The Swedish East India Company
(Swedish: Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or SOIC) would not be founded until 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with the far east.
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
merchant, investor and diplomat who was instrumental in drawing both Dutch and Swedish attention to the importance of the New World. Usselincx was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
(Dutch: Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie).
Background
Usselincx was born in Antwerp, today a city and municipality in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium. Usselincx was born in Antwerp at a time of major upheaval and change. His life span covered the period of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) which was a revolt against Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
resulting in the secession of seven provinces that came to form the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. At the time of his birth, Antwerp was the most prominent harbor of Western Europe. The Port of Antwerp
Port of Antwerp
The port of Antwerp, in Belgium, is a port in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt. The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. The inland location means that the port...
is located on the right bank of the river Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
, which is linked to the North Sea by the estuary Westerschelde. The 16th century has gone down in history as Antwerp’s Golden Age. Over the first half of the 16th century Antwerp grew to become the second largest European city north of the Alps by 1560.
The religious revolution of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
erupted in Antwerp with violent riots in August 1566. The Eighty Years' War followed shortly. The Spanish Crown succeeded in recapturing the important provinces of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
, including the major port city of Antwerp. This reclaimed area became known as the Spanish Netherlands. In 1585, Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, had captured Antwerp after a long siege and sent its Protestant citizens into exile. The recognition of the independence of the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
stipulated that the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
should be closed to navigation, which destroyed Antwerp's trading activities.
Dutch West India Company
Usselincx had spent some time in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and on the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. There he saw the wealth that was produced by the Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Some time after the seize of Antwerp by the Spanish in 1585, Usselincx moved to The Netherlands, first to Middelburg
Middelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
and later to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. He was persuaded that the Netherlands would win independence and should capture colonies from Spain and Portugal.
His book Naerder Bedenckingen, Over de zee-vaert/ Coophandel ende Neeringhe alsmede de versekeringhe vanden Staet deser vereenichde Landen/ inde teghenvoordighe Vrede-handelinghe met den Coninck van Spangnien ende de Aerts-hertoghen was first printed in 1608. This work translated into English as "Further reflections on the Navigation, Commerce and Trade, as also the assurance of the Government of those United Lands in the present Treaty of Peace with the King of Spain and the Archdukes, by a lover of real and constant peace", presented Usselincx's arguments for a West India trading company and made frequent reference to the Spanish power and source of wealth in the West Indies.
In 1621, Usselincx was one of the founding fathers of the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
, an enterprise he had planned for many years. His intentions were not entirely commercial. He hoped to create a new and better society. He expected that thousands of Protestants would migrate to America. He did not wish so much to exploit the country, but rather to let arise a New Netherlands. In this secondary goal, he was insufficiently supported by the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
.
New Sweden
Usselincx, drew the attention of Peter MinuitPeter Minuit
Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit was a Walloon from Wesel, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves. He was the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633, and he founded the Swedish colony of...
to Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
efforts to found the colony which would later become New Sweden
New Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
(Swedish: Nya Sverige). Like his friend Usselincx, Peter Minuit had also been disappointed by the Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company
Dutch West India Company was a chartered company of Dutch merchants. Among its founding fathers was Willem Usselincx...
and was replaced as governor of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
.
As early as 1626 , Usselinx had described the advantages to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
of contributing in an overseas venture. He referred to the wealth acquired by Spain and The Netherlands in similar enterprises and extolled Sweden's resources for success in the marketplace. Usselinx received royal privileges from king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
for a trading company. The king commissioned Usselinx to solicit subscriptions for the Swedish South Company in Sweden and its territories.
Usselincx relocated from The Netherlands for Sweden but was unable to profit from his plans, despite the initial support of Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Oxenstierna
Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre , Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a confidant of first Gustavus Adolphus and then Queen Christina.Oxenstierna...
, Swedish Lord High Chancellor. Wars and financial hard times stopped the company before it launched any ships. In 1637, Minuit made arrangements with the Swedish government to create the first Swedish colony in the New World. But by that time, Usselincx was largely financially ruined due to bad investments and unable to profit from his vision. The Swedish East India Company
Swedish East India Company
The Swedish East India Company was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with the Far East...
(Swedish: Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or SOIC) would not be founded until 1731 for the purpose of conducting trade with the far east.
Other sources
- Fiske, John The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1902)
- Jameson, J. Franklin Willem Usselinx: Founder of the Dutch and Swedish West India Companies (G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1887)
- Mickley, Joseph J. Some Account of William Usselinx and Peter Minuit: Two individuals who were instrumental in establishing the first permanent colony in Delaware (The Historical Society of Delaware. 1881)
- Johnson, AmandusAmandus JohnsonAmandus Johnson was an American historian, author and founding curator of the American Swedish Historical Museum...
The Swedes on the Delaware, 1638-1664 (Philadelphia, PA: The Swedish Colonial Society. 1915)