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How do you think it became a trade super power? It was interacting with a lot of foreigners. And that was after they cut loose from the Spanish Empire around th
by jillesvangurp 3y ago
How do you think it became a trade super power? It was interacting with a lot of foreigners. And that was after they cut loose from the Spanish Empire around the same time of the Spanish Inquisition and the arrival of a lot of Spanish jews, French Huegenots, and lots of others in the Netherlands. The renaissance started in Venice and then moved North.
- badpun 3y agoTo my understanding, Netherlands had a long-standing tradition of maritime commerce. Before discovery of sea routes to Asia and Americas, they were doing a lot of trading within Europe (e.g. selling Polish grain on the Western markets). After the discoveries, it was somewhat natural for them to expand on to new markets. Spanish Jews or French Hugenots (to my knowledge) didn't have much of expertise in terms maritine commerce, so I don't think they were a factor (however, the Jews might have facilitated development of financial markets for financing the overseas trading expeditions).