APEURO Lecture 3A Mrs. Kray

 It was a political model ◦ Republican gov’t w/power in hands of wealthy merchants  Radical view towards religion ◦ Certain level of religious toleration – even for Jews ◦ Dominant religion was Calvinism  Stable, thriving economy ◦ Leading commercial power for most of the 17 th c ◦ Amsterdam financial center of Europe  “Golden Age” of artists and thinkers ◦ Religion and everyday life were recurring themes in their art

 Religious toleration had created a cosmopolitan society that promoted commerce  Highest standard of living in Europe ◦ Amsterdam, Rotterdam: granaries with enough surplus for one year ◦ Generally higher salaries than in any other part of W. Europe  Even women had higher wages!  “Protestant work ethic” ◦ Thrift and frugality

 Dutch art very different from baroque art in Rome and Madrid ◦ Dutch Republic was a Protestant nation w/o an absolute ruler ◦ Lacking commissions from the Catholic Church and from royal officials, Dutch artists turned to their nation’s prosperous merchants  Merchant class were art patrons ◦ As self-made entrepreneurs they wanted to purchase paintings of themselves, their families, their possessions, and their land  Dutch artists focused on painting the individual and everyday life  During the 17 th c., the Dutch Republic supported an astonishing number of great artists: Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer, etc.

 Exported diamonds, linens, pottery  Not much inflation  Great Dutch land reclamation project was accelerated during this time ◦ Land was recovered by use of dams and dikes and was then organized into polders for purposes of diverting water ◦ While help drive agricultural revolution of the next century  Masters of the “carrying trade” (lowest shipping rates in Europe)  Financial center of Europe** ◦ Bank of Amsterdam, Fugger Family ◦ Stability of Dutch banking means $$$ pours in, thus feeding Dutch economy w/capital for investment

 To understand Dutch prosperity you must understand this revolution  New ocean trade routes ◦ Trade in spice, sugar, and precious metals brought great wealth to European trading nations ◦ This wealth supported increased investment  Growth of population ◦ Colombian food exchange supported population growth ◦ This growth led to an increase in overall demand for goods and services  Price revolution ◦ Steady inflation in prices during the 16 th c. ◦ Caused by rising demand created by population growth and the influx of gold and silver from the New World  New nation-centered economic system ◦ Before 1500, western European economy centered around towns and guilds. Both relied on strict regulation to ensure survival thus there was little innovation ◦ As commercial activity increased, a new nation-centered economic system began to replace this old system  mercantilism

 New entrepreneurs ◦ The expansion of commercial activity created large geographic markets. The new trading areas opened new opportunities while also requiring a new kind of economic leadership ◦ Merchants and bankers emerged as influential and successful entrepreneurs  The Italian Medici family and the German Fuggers are good examples  New Industries ◦ The printing press created a national and even international market for books ◦ The new ocean trading routes sparked a rise in shipbuilding ◦ The emergence of nation states supported the large-scale manufacturing of cannons and muskets  Putting-Out System ◦ Strict guild regulations stifled competition and restricted production ◦ In order to avoid the restrictive guild system, entrepreneurs provided cloth, looms, and other equipment to rural families ◦ The putting-out system led to a significant increase in the production of cloth and other manufactured goods

 The new international trade required unprecedented amounts of capital. ◦ For example, merchants had to arm their ships, buy special privileges for local authorities, and build trading posts. Wars, storms, and rivals threatened profits  English and Dutch merchants formed joint-stock companies to maximize profit and limit risks  Investors in a joint-stock company bought shares of ownership. ◦ If the company went bankrupt, its owners lost their investment. ◦ If the companies prospered, the investor’s shares of ownership entitled them to collect a proportional share of the profits

 Took over the asiento system from the Portuguese  Settled in South Africa (Boers/Afrikaners)

 By 1645, it was the largest university in the Protestant world  The separation of the strong provinces hindered the power of any church to control intellectual life in the Dutch Republic

 Groningen and Leiden were the first international universities  Half of the students were foreigners

 The French philosopher lived in Leiden from 1628 to 1649

 Most agree that the telescope was invented by Hans Lippershey in 1608

 Did Vermeer use some of the new discoveries in optics?  Did he use lenses to project the image of the subject (camera obscura) onto the canvas?  It is argued that van Leeuwenhoek was the model for his painting, “The Astronomer”

 Philip II consolidated Hapsburg lands at the end of the 16 th c.

 The United Provinces still recognized Spanish rule but, they declared their independence. Spain officially recognized independence after Peace of Westphalia

STATES GENERAL * Federal assembly * Power over foreign affairs (war) * All other issues referred to local estates STADHOLDER * States General representative from each province * Responsible for defense and order REGENTS * Provincial level officials * Held virtually all power * Strong advocates of local independence

 Trade war with England turns into larger military conflict ◦ English Navigation Acts  First Anglo-Dutch War:  Second Anglo-Dutch War:  Third Anglo-Dutch War:  Beginning of Dutch decline

William of OrangeHis wife Mary

 The final “revenge” of the Dutch?