Voorcompagnie facts for kids
A voorcompagnie (say: for-kom-pah-NEE) was the name for trading companies from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands that sailed to Asia between 1594 and 1602. These companies were set up before they joined together to create the famous Dutch East India Company (VOC).
Rich merchants from the northern parts of the Netherlands and wealthy people who had moved from the southern parts helped pay for these early companies. There was a lot of tough competition between them. Because of this, the government made these smaller trading companies combine. They formed the (United) East India Company, which then got special permission to be the only company allowed to trade with Asia for the next 21 years.
Early Trading Adventures
In the seven years before the big VOC was created, 12 different voorcompagnieën were started. They were all trying to get rich by trading spices and other goods from Asia.
Here are some of these early companies:
- Compagnie van Verre (Company of Far Away)
- Nieuwe or Tweede Compagnie (New or Second Company)
- Oude Compagnie (Old Company)
- (Nieuwe) Brabantse Compagnie (Company from Brabant)
- Verenigde Amsterdamse Compagnie (United Company of Amsterdam)
- Magelhaense Compagnie (Company of Magellan)
- Rotterdamse Compagnie (Company of Rotterdam)
- Compagnie van De Moucheron (Company of De Moucheron)
- Delftse Vennootschap (Delft Partnership)
- Veerse Compagnie (Company of Veere)
- Middelburgse Compagnie (Company of Middelburg)
- Verenigde Zeeuwse Compagnie (United Company of Zeeland)
These companies competed so much that, as one historian, Jaap ter Haar, said, "they were sailing the coins out of each other's pockets." This means they were spending so much money trying to beat each other that it was hurting everyone.
Between 1594 and 1601, these companies sent out 15 big trips to Asia. They also tried 3 other trips that went north, past North Cape (Norway), but these trips had many problems.
