The Society of Suriname (

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: ''Sociëteit van Suriname'') was a Dutch private company, modelled on the ideas of

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

and set up on 21 May 1683 to profit from the management and defense of the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

's colony of

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

. It had three participants, with equal shares in the costs and benefits of the society; the city of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, the family

Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck (also: Sommelsdijk) (The Hague, 20 August 1637 - Paramaribo, 19 July 1688) was the first governor of Suriname (Dutch colony), Suriname after the establishment of the Society of Suriname in 1683. He was governo ...

, and the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...

. Only through mutual consent could these shareholders withdraw from the society. Although the organization and administration was of the colony was limited to these three shareholders, all citizens of the

were free to trade with Suriname. Also, the planters were consulted in a

Council of Police A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

, which was a unique feature among the colonies of Guyana.Buddingh, H. (1995) Geschiedenis van Suriname, p. 26. Its governors included

Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck (also: Sommelsdijk) (The Hague, 20 August 1637 - Paramaribo, 19 July 1688) was the first governor of Suriname after the establishment of the Society of Suriname in 1683. He was governor from 27 November 1683 ...

Johan van Scharphuizen Joan or Johan van Scharphuysen, Scharphuizen or Jan van Scherpenhuizen (died 15 January 1699) was a Dutch colonist, a judge in Suriname (Dutch colony), Suriname, a slave-trader, colonial governor from 1689 to 1696 on behalf of the Society of Surin ...

, and

Paulus van der Veen Paul van der Veen Does (c. 1660 - 16 August 1733, Gorcum) was from 1696 to 1706 governor of Surinam, succeeding Johan van Scharphuizen. The next twenty-five years, until his death, he was a member of the board of the Society of Surinam. He was t ...

. The Society was nationalized by the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bona ...

in November 1795, as the

Patriottentijd The (; ) was a period of political instability in the Dutch Republic between approximately 1780 and 1787. Its name derives from the Patriots () faction who opposed the rule of the stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange, and his supporters who ...

deemed the governing of colonies by chartered companies a thing of the past.

Notes

Sources

* Aa, A.J. Beknopt Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek der Nederlanden, Gorinchem 1851–'54. * Winter, P.J. van (1987) De Westindische Compagnie ter kamer Stad en Lande, p. 201–4, 217.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Society of Suriname Dutch West India Company Chartered companies Companies based in Amsterdam Multinational companies headquartered in the Netherlands Companies established in 1683 Trading companies Dutch colonisation of the Guianas History of Suriname 1683 establishments in the Dutch Republic

See also

Notes

Sources

External links