The Netherlands connected British shipping with German markets, river routes, and European coastal traffic. Neutral Dutch carriers could receive goods that belligerents could not move directly and then trade them onward. This commercial-hub role resembled that of earlier city-states such as Venice and Milan. Losing New Amsterdam to Britain did not eliminate Dutch trade there, and British rule could even spare Dutch merchants the cost of security and troops. The example shows how commercial influence could survive a transfer of formal sovereignty.
Chapter · 20:50-22:39
The Netherlands as Europe's commercial hub
River, land, and coastal connections let Dutch merchants keep profiting even when other powers took over Dutch-held territory.