In “Travel to the Netherlands with Me II,” Episode, #203, Meredith Curtis invites you to take a trip with her to the Netherlands. This time, we’ll explore the Golden Age, the 80 Years’ War, and Tulipmania. What an exciting time filled with inventors, painters, and trade all over the world! The Dutch were the world power of their time in sea and in trade! All this was fueled by their devotion to the Lord and desire to honor Him with hard work and thrifty living.

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The Netherlands is a plucky little nation in Northern Europe with a fascinating history. Continuing on to part II of our 3-part series, today we are going to talk about the Netherland’s Golden Age & Tulipmania.

The Dutch were independent and freedom-loving. With hard work and faith in God, they conquered the sea and used the sea for their livelihood – trading with other nations all over the world.

Embracing the Reformation.

Rule of Phillip II of Spain & Spanish Inquisition. Protestant Christians were put to death for heresy.

This religious persecution finally erupted into a war for independence led by William the Silent, Prince of Orange.

Victories and Losses. Siege of Leiden.

1581 – Official secession from Spanish Empire. 1584 – William the Silent assassinated.

10 year peace. From 1609 to 1619 the Dutch enjoyed relative freedom but it ended.

The Eighty Years’ War began in 1568 and continued for eighty years until 1648 when the Spanish finally recognized the independence of the Netherlands.

On May 15, 1648, the Peace of Munster made independence official. The Netherlands was a free independent nation. To learn more about the Eighty Years War, watch this video “The Dutch Revolt: The Eighty Years’ War and the Creation of the Netherlands” https://youtu.be/g1AMiQmApQQ

Ironically, it was during the Eighty Years War and afterward from 1599-1672, that the Netherlands moved into a Golden Age where they became a financial powerhouse and mighty sea power.

Discovered in Turkey and brought back to the Netherlands.

The Tulip quickly became a status symbol. Botanists created all kinds of varieties and their popularity soared even more which eventually led to Tulipmania and a market bubble and crash.

At height of Tulipmania, tulips sold for the same price as a mansion on the Amsterdam Grand Canal. Investors kept purchasing tulips and selling them, but finally people woke up and realized that their tulip bulbs were not worth so muchmoney. Then came the crash.

This rising bubble and crash cycle has been seen over and over in history. Popular examples are the Stock Market Crash of 1929 or the Bitcoin crisis more recently.

A great look at Tulipmania is The Great Tulip Trade by Beth Wagoner Brust (an easy reader).

Join me for a 4-week unit study touring the plucky little country that once ruled the seas!

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