Curaçao as War Base

Abstract

With the occupation of the Curaçao islands, the Dutch acquired a firm foothold in the Caribbean for their empire around the Atlantic Ocean, to which the crucial slave depot of Angola, São Paulo de Loanda, was soon added, sparking a bitter struggle with the Portuguese over control of the slave trade. In 1636 the conquest of the northern part of Brazil - New Holland - was reinforced by the appointment as governor of Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen. Extremely competent, Count Maurits not only consolidated the Dutch position at the expense of Portugal in that part of the world but consistently worked to increase the influence of the United Provinces elsewhere abroad. New Netherland likewise appeared to be flourishing. The Heren XIX kept their eyes on the Caribbean, intent upon establishing a strong naval base to promote privateering, and after Piet Heyn’s exhilarating success, to aid in the future capture of Spanish treasure fleets.