It was formed in the year 1609.
In this year, the Dutch had extended their trade to the west coast of
Africa so much, that they had about 100 ships employed in the gold coast
trade. About the same time, they formed a colony in North America, in that
province now called New York. In 1611, having formed a truce with Spain,
they resolved to venture into the Mediterranean, and endeavour to partake
in the lucrative trade with the Levant: for this purpose, they sent an
ambassador to Constantinople, where he concluded a favourable treaty of
commerce. But by far the most extensive and lucrative commerce which the
Dutch possessed in Europe, was in the Baltic: there they had gradually
supplanted the Hanseatic League, and by the middle of the seventeenth
century, nearly all the commodities of the countries lying on, or
communicating with this sea, were supplied to the rest of Europe by the
Dutch. In the year 1612, they first engaged in the whale fishery at
Greenland. In 1648, taking advantage of the civil troubles in England, and
having by this time acquired a powerful influence at the Russian court,
they interfered with the trade of the English Russian Company at Archangel;
and this new branch of trade they pushed with their national industry and
perseverance, so that in 1689 they had 200 factors in this place.
In the year 1621 the Dutch formed a West India Company: their first objects
were to reduce Brazil and Peru: in the latter they were utterly
unsuccessful.
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