"The Dutch still call it their Golden Age: in the 17th century, they built a trading empire that spanned the globe and propelled them to the pinnacle of power and influence in Europe. World cities as far apart as New York, Cape Town and Jakarta are all built on Dutch foundations.
But the Dutch Golden Age wasn't all that Dutch. As these maps show, the crews manning the ships of the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, came from all over Europe, and indeed from all over the world.
The maps were prepared by Jelle van Lottum, Senior Researcher at the Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Specialising in maritime and migration history, Mr. van Lottum traced the places of origin of the soldiers, sailors, and officers crewing VOC ships on a map.
The records span the Company's entire history, from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. "The VOC relied on a highly international labour force, the composition of which changed strongly over time", Mr van Lottum says….."
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