11 - From Company to Government (1780–1816)

Summary

The War of the Spanish Succession was the last European war in which the Republic operated as a great power. The war effort had completely depleted public finances, so the Republic could no longer afford costly wars and had to accept a more modest place in Europe. The States General realised all too well that the Republic's economy would thrive best in times of peace. Hence, for much of the eighteenth century they pursued a policy of neutrality aimed at keeping the Republic out of wars between the major European powers.

This policy was successful for a long time, but also had drawbacks. For instance, Dutch ships were often stopped and seized for contraband during wars. The previous chapter already showed how the Admiralty of Amsterdam tried to protect shipping between the Republic and Curaçao against this. But perhaps the biggest drawback was that more and more people began to believe that this successful policy of neutrality would lastingly provide sufficient protection. During the eighteenth century, the Dutch therefore invested less and less in the defence of their Atlantic trading posts and colonies. Primary responsibility for the defence of their Atlantic possessions devolved upon the wic and the Societies of Suriname and Berbice.

Although the States General had committed to contributing funding towards defence as early as the seventeenth century, the lion's share of the costs still had to be met by private companies, most of which raised the funds through taxes on the colonists. Since neither the States General, nor the private companies, nor indeed the colonists themselves, were willing to contribute enough to defence, the garrisons shrank and the defences were neglected. But as long as the Republic could maintain its neutrality, this did not seem too much of a problem.

Dutch neutrality came under pressure as international tensions increased due to the American War of Independence. This chapter will begin with an analysis of the impact of this conflict on the Dutch position in the Caribbean. What, for instance, did the Republic do to protect its trading posts in West Africa and the colonies in the Americas against the possibility of coming under attack by a European power? During the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (1780– 1784), it would become clear whether this protection was adequate and what role the French alliance would play in the fight against the British.