The Dutch Colonial Presence in the West Indies in the 17th Century: A Historiographical Overview

Abstract

This overview summarizes the Dutch presence in the America(s) with special attention focused on the Dutch Caribbean and Suriname, (not exclusively, but with major focus) in the 17th century. The central aim of the text is to explore the chosen research topics and scholarly interests throughout the second half of the 20th century and to emphasize the current historiographical and archival tendencies in the Dutch West Indies, revealing the initial colonial events which irreversibly redrew the map of the Spanish dominions in the New World.