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Wednesday, September 15, 2004
The East India Company
Jen and I were in Holland late last month, where among other things we saw a replica of the Amsterdam, a merchantman in the old Dutch East India fleet. The East India Company colonized the Spice Islands and governed them, off and on, for three centuries, until the people rebelled and declared themeselves Indonesian. The East India company was also the first major capitalist venture, meaning the first modern undertaking financed by shareholders. The West India Company, which didn't do so well, has the distinction of sending Henry Hudson out to found a settlement called New Amsterdam, which later became a massive capitalist metropolis in its own right. Interesting how parts of Amsterdam, actually, look a lot like Greenwich Village -- sunken doorways, green copper railings on the stairs.
Anyway, here's our editor navigating from the Amsterdam's bridge:
posted by Michael Scott Moore |
3:35 AM
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