As the power in New Amsterdam changed, the development of slavery evolved as well. When the West India Company first controlled New Amsterdam, or the Dutch, the members of the company did not a have clear idea how to use slaves, as well as how to obtain them. It was not until the end of their reign over New Amsterdam, did the West India Company start to use their slaves efficiently. Once the English took over New Amsterdam, they wisely put their slaves to good use, and found effective ways to trade for them. In the article, “Burghers and Blacks: The Evolution of a Slave Society at New Amsterdam”, written by Joyce D. Goodfriend, writes about how that once the English took control over New Amsterdam from the Dutch, they received all the praise for all of their slave contributions to New Amsterdam and the Dutch did not get enough recognition for all of the work that they did. What the Dutch did had a greater impact than what the English did. At first, the Dutch did not use the slaves to their greatest potential.
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It was not until just before the English conquest, the West India Company’s slave labor worked at jobs, which benefited the town (Goodfriend, p.130). Slaves were at first used for private entrepreneurs throughout New Amsterdam (Goodfriend, p.126). Goodfriend writes about how company slaves were assigned to various jobs such as constructing a wagon road, and even reinforce the defense of the community. If the Dutch had never put the slaves to alternative modes of labor, there is no telling if the English would have the thought that idea up on their own. Slaves became extremely more valuable that they could be utilized for more than just one job. The slave trade created by the Dutch is another key part that the West India Company started that the English could not have just started on their own. When the Dutch captured Fort at Elmina in 1637, the greatest period of Dutch power begun, the Dutch became the major supplier of slaves to the Spanish colonies, as well as Dutch traders transported slaves to the French and British colonies in the West Indies (Goodfriend, p.134-135). Seizing Fort at Elmina is extremely significant, if that never happened the Dutch’s trade could have drastically changed over the years. It is possible that if Fort at Elmina was never captured than the Dutch might never have had a slave trade with Barbados, Curacao, …show more content…
142). In Goodfriend’s writing, she talks about how individuals in all economic classes, excluding the lowest one owned slaves. This was important because it gave most people a chance to try to own a slave, which can be a very essential asset to many. In 1652, owning a slave became even more special because the West India Company granted the residents of Manhattan the privilege of engaging in a direct trade to Africa (Goodfriend p.143). Allowing that trade to happen was not only necessary for the residents of Manhattan because it was a new way to profit, but also necessary for those in the future because it opened a new door for people to trade slaves, something that could not have been done before. The Dutch implemented new ideas that not only the English used, but that were used for years to come, and did not receive half the credit they should
It was not until just before the English conquest, the West India Company’s slave labor worked at jobs, which benefited the town (Goodfriend, p.130). Slaves were at first used for private entrepreneurs throughout New Amsterdam (Goodfriend, p.126). Goodfriend writes about how company slaves were assigned to various jobs such as constructing a wagon road, and even reinforce the defense of the community. If the Dutch had never put the slaves to alternative modes of labor, there is no telling if the English would have the thought that idea up on their own. Slaves became extremely more valuable that they could be utilized for more than just one job. The slave trade created by the Dutch is another key part that the West India Company started that the English could not have just started on their own. When the Dutch captured Fort at Elmina in 1637, the greatest period of Dutch power begun, the Dutch became the major supplier of slaves to the Spanish colonies, as well as Dutch traders transported slaves to the French and British colonies in the West Indies (Goodfriend, p.134-135). Seizing Fort at Elmina is extremely significant, if that never happened the Dutch’s trade could have drastically changed over the years. It is possible that if Fort at Elmina was never captured than the Dutch might never have had a slave trade with Barbados, Curacao, …show more content…
142). In Goodfriend’s writing, she talks about how individuals in all economic classes, excluding the lowest one owned slaves. This was important because it gave most people a chance to try to own a slave, which can be a very essential asset to many. In 1652, owning a slave became even more special because the West India Company granted the residents of Manhattan the privilege of engaging in a direct trade to Africa (Goodfriend p.143). Allowing that trade to happen was not only necessary for the residents of Manhattan because it was a new way to profit, but also necessary for those in the future because it opened a new door for people to trade slaves, something that could not have been done before. The Dutch implemented new ideas that not only the English used, but that were used for years to come, and did not receive half the credit they should