. The magazine of American history with notes and queries. tragic scenes of carriage andbloodshed, originated two Dutch commercial corporations of extraordinarymagnitude. When, in 1580, Philip II. united Portugal to Spain, and pres-ently began his war upon England, all Spanish and Portuguese ports wereclosed against English vessels. Therefore England was forced to buy hersilks, spices, and other India produce of the Dutch. The revolt of theNetherlands following swiftly, Dutch vessels were excluded from Lisbon,then the great source of supplies from the Orient. It was a severe shockto Dutch indu


. The magazine of American history with notes and queries. tragic scenes of carriage andbloodshed, originated two Dutch commercial corporations of extraordinarymagnitude. When, in 1580, Philip II. united Portugal to Spain, and pres-ently began his war upon England, all Spanish and Portuguese ports wereclosed against English vessels. Therefore England was forced to buy hersilks, spices, and other India produce of the Dutch. The revolt of theNetherlands following swiftly, Dutch vessels were excluded from Lisbon,then the great source of supplies from the Orient. It was a severe shockto Dutch industry, for that people had begun already to reap large profitsfrom English trade. Prices had gone up on India goods—on pepper, forinstance—two hundred per cent. The emancipation of the seven Dutchprovinces from the grasp of Spain had resulted in a sort of irregulardemocracy. The province of Holland, being richer and more powerfulthan all its six sister provinces combined, imposed a genuine supremacy Vol. XVIIL—No. 4.—i9 2 74 THE ORIGIN OF NEW YORK. THE ORIGIN OF NEW YORK 275 over the whole that was practically conceded. The Union of Utrecht,established in 1579, was really the foundation of the commonwealth. But Dutch opulence was of little account without a revenue ; andDutch genius and public spirit, outwitting Spain, conceived the bold proj-ect of opening an ocean avenue of its own to China and the East the East India Company was founded, and its vessels followed in thetrack of the Portuguese around Africa. Its directors were for the mostpart noblemen of the old school. The name and interests of Hollandsgreat advocate, John of Barneveld, were identified with it, and his admin-istrative sagacity was one of the principal elements in its marvelous suc-cess. Within the first twenty years of its existence it divided upwards offour times its original capital among its shareholders, and accumulatedimmense possessions in colonies and vessels. It absolutely founded


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