Holland

Republic of Holland in 16-18th centuries

Key Features

• barely 2 million people (but most densely populated in Europe)
• large number of culturally important people: Erasmus, Lipsius, Scalicer, Grotius, Rembrandt, Vondel, DescartesDescartes
  Rene Descartes
  
  Background Info
  
  1596-1650
  educated at Univ of Paris
  Catholic Christian
  not an academic
  
  
  
  
  wrote Descartes, Meditations of First Philosophy from a [[Rationalism
  rationalistic]] perspective
  
  
  
  
  claims he is making a whole new start in philosophy
  D. arrived at a certain and evident knowledge of the truth. He wants to see if he can persuade others by the same method that he himself used.
  ..., Huygens, Vermeer, Spinosa, Bayle
• Diversity of churches; tolerant
• Lead in freedoms - esp women, servants & Jews
• lacked proper social hierarchy (b/c Holland was never feudal)
• Guild system important

Social / Geo Context

• dikes - land reclamation, systematic on a large scale
• gave the new lands to individuals (not feudal lords)
• much of it never feudal

Shipping

• Holland developed the fluit (very efficient bulk carrier)
• center of wealth - herring trade
• Middle man for Portugese spices
• dominant in trade b/t Baltic & Mediterranean
• by 1560 - about 1,800 ships; Venice 300
• not managed by cities
• no one getting super rich

Humanism & the Reformation

Northern low countries - European center of humanism

• stressed the development of the individual
• 90% literacy rate (England was prob ~60%)

Reformation in Low Countries

• 1521 - Charlies V (Holy Roman Empire) condemns Luther
• sets up Inquisition
  • heavy prosecution incl burning @ the stake
  • many inward protestants but outward Catholics
• Charles V uses low countries to fund goals of interest to him, but not low countries
• Charles abdicates; son Philip II increases tax on low countries
• Philip tries to strengthen the church
  • suppresses criticism of the church by burning
• protestants physically attack the catholic churches
  • destroying images, paintings, & altars
• Catholic response - late & weak, then severe repression (executed 1k)
• military leader took a city & killed all men, women & children
• HRE loses

Dutch Military Reforms

• protect society from the military
• regular payment of troops
• severe punishment for crimes against civilians: rape, pillage, loot

Structure of Republic

• not monarchy
• cross b/t confederation & federal state
• province = sovereign, fundamental political unit
• joint confederation - defense, taxation, & foreign policy, accounting office, coinage, admirality college, manage new lands

Dutch Eeast India Co.

• Dutch trading spices, textiles, metals, sugar, slaves through Portugal
• Spain sees Dutch getting rich & closes ports to them
• Dutch invest heavily - direct to spice islands
• gain huge profits
• dominate trade for 150 years (still going until WWII)

Social Structure

• Guilds
• Elaborate system of poor relief
• Church wants purity