Dutch East Indies

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dutch-east-indies

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the founding entity?Dutch East India Company (VOC), chartered in 1602
2. What is the primary economic system (mid-19th c.)?Cultivation System (Cultuurstelsel)
3. Why did the Dutch want spices from the East Indies?Spices like nutmeg, cloves, and mace were very valuable and could bring a lot of money. The Dutch wanted to control the trade of these spices to make the Netherlands rich.
4. How did the Dutch get control of the islands?The Dutch East India Company used military force and other tactics to take control from the Portuguese and English. They also used harsh methods to keep their monopoly on spice trade.

Monopoly: Exclusive control over the production or sale of a particular good or service.
Sovereignty: The supreme power or authority of a state to govern itself or another state.
Nationalism: Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, often to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.