Dutch Raid on North America
Dutch Raid on North America | |||||||
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Part of Franco-Dutch War and Third Anglo-Dutch War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
England France | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest Anthony Colve Jacob Binckes |
Richard Munden John Manning | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Initially 6 vessels (115 guns) and 586 men |
Munden's Squadron 4 warships (174-184 guns) 2 fireships | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
200 vessels captured or destroyed[1] |
The Dutch Raid on North America[a] took place from December 1672 to February 1674 during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, a related conflict of the Franco-Dutch War. A naval expedition led by Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and Jacob Binckes attacked English and French possessions in North America.
Evertsen originally planned to attack the homeward-bound convoy of the English East India Company, but abandoned the idea when his ships were intercepted by a superior Royal Navy squadron off Cape Verde. After linking up with Binckes, their combined force instead attacked the Americas intending to inflict as much damage as possible.
Although they recaptured the former Dutch colony of New Netherland, it was returned to England under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster (1674). The raid marks the end of direct Dutch influence in colonial North America.
Background
Commercial conflicts between
When France invaded the Dutch Republic in May 1672, it initially seemed as if Louis had won an overwhelming victory. By the end of June, only the Dutch Waterline stood between them and the core province of Holland; by opening the sluices, the Dutch managed to stop the French advance.[3] Dutch survival depended on control of the sea lanes, which ensured they could bring in vital supplies and keep trade routes open. On 7 June 1672, a Dutch naval force attacked the combined Anglo-French fleet at the Battle of Solebay; both sides lost one ship each, but it ended significant naval operations for the year.[4] The battle thus prevented the allies from landing their troops on the Dutch coast.[5]
His unexpected success proved a mixed blessing for Louis, since the possibility of France controlling the Republic, the largest commercial power in Europe, brought the Dutch support from Emperor Leopold and Spain among others and increased opposition to the war in England, where many had opposed an alliance with Catholic France from the start. Peace talks stalled after an over-confident Louis made demands unacceptable even to his English allies.[6] Meanwhile his German ally, the Bishop of Münster, besieged Groningen, but was unsuccessful in this endeavor and retreated with heavy casualties.[7]
By the Fall of 1672 however, the province of
Campaign
Atlantic
On 30 November 1672, the Zeeland
Caribbean
Evertsen first sailed for The Guianas. He was thinking about capturing the French colony of Cayenne, but decided against it after reconnoitering the area. He then sailed for Suriname, which by then was already in Dutch hands. Thereafter Evertsen set sail for the French colony of Martinique. While sailing around Martinique he met by coincidence another Dutch squadron, of six ships from the Admiralty of Amsterdam, under Jacob Binckes. Binckes who had arrived earlier, had been sent out in December, with orders to escort Spanish treasure ships from the Azores to Cádiz and afterward to sail to the West Indies to prey on English and French colonies and their trade, had already captured a number of French ships. They decided to join forces, agreeing to alternate command weekly and to attack both English and French colonies. Their first target was the French colony of Guadeloupe.[12][13]
When they first arrived they were immediately attacked by two French
Virginia
It was decided they would set sail for the English
The Dutch squadron arrived on 10 July (O.S.) They anchored in the Lynnhaven Roads, just west of Cape Henry. The English commanders Thomas Gardiner and Edward Cotterell decided to play a waiting game, but they were forced to act when on 12 July the Maryland tobacco ships suddenly appeared coming down the Chesapeake Bay and unsuspectingly sailing straight at the waiting Dutch. The English warships therefore engaged the Dutch fleet and succeeded in their attempt to lure the Dutch warships away, but the odds were against them and at the end of the day the Dutch prevailed. In the next few days the Dutch captured a number of ships (some of them stranded English merchantmen, which they burned), but due to the many shoals in the Hampton Roads and adjacent rivers, where the tobacco fleet had taken refuge, were unable to capture the majority of the English ships. They decided to retreat since they thought their mission was accomplished. They had captured thousands of hogsheads of tobacco, and driven both the Virginia, and Maryland tobacco fleets in hiding to Jamestown, at a small cost to themselves.[16]
New Netherlands
In the days after the battle the Dutch fleet captured a small English ship. One of the captured Englishmen told Evertsen all about the situation in New York. He informed him that the defenses of Fort James were weak and that governor Francis Lovelace was absent. Evertsen and Binckes then decided to grasp the opportunity to recapture the former New Amsterdam and New Netherland from the English.[17] They then set sail for New York. On 25 July (O.S.) they passed Cape Henlopen. On 30 July (O.S.) (8 August N.S.) they anchored near Staten Island. When they arrived a number of Dutch colonists came aboard and complained about the English occupation. These Dutchmen were tired of the harsh English rule. They confirmed that governor Lovelace was absent and that the fort was weakly guarded. After a Council of War the two Dutch commanders decided to issue a proclamation in which they told the inhabitants of New York that they had nothing to fear from the Dutch if they were ready to submit to the States General of the Netherlands.[18]
The next morning (31 July (O.S.) / 9 August 1673 (N.S.)) the Dutch fleet set sail for Manhattan. They were met by a boat carrying parlimentaires representing the garrison commander of Fort James, captain John Manning. Evertsen and Binckes verbally issued an ultimatum, but the parlimentaires demanded to see their commission. Evertsen replied that "my dacht dat seer onredelijck te sijn, gevende haar tot antwoort, dat die in de tromp van 't canon stack, gelijc sij wel haest souden gewaer worden, bij aldien het fort niet overleverden."[e]
While the Dutch ships anchored under the fort, but out of reach of its guns, there were several exchanges with Manning through Dutch and English parlimentaires. Manning remained reluctant, so the ships opened fire on the fort, which the English answered with their guns. A landing force of Dutch marines under the command of captain
In October Evertsen and Binckes sent a fleet of four ships under Nicholas Boes to attack the entire fisheries fleet at Newfoundland. It was a great success which caused massive destruction.[22]
Aftermath
Cornelis and Binckes departed from
While at Cadiz, Evertsen received orders from his home country. Subsequently, on 23 June 1674, he returned to Vlissingen. Despite the efforts of Evertsen and Binckes, the Dutch rule over New Netherland was short-lived. In November 1674, the colony reverted to English control on the basis of the Treaty of Westminster (1674), serving as a bargaining chip in the peace process. This event marked the end of the Dutch empire's presence in North America.[24]
Notes
- ^ Also Dutch Raid on America, or Dutch naval campaign of 1672-1674
- ^ The Sea Horse shoal is prominent in the center of the map. The Dutch fleet was originally anchored just west of Cape Henry
- ^ A New and Accurate Map of the Whole of New Netherland.
- ^ The date of 24 August 1673, given in the illustration is incorrect.
- ^ "I thought that very unreasonable, and I replied that [my commission] stuck in the muzzle of my gun, as they would find out if they did not surrender the fort."[19]
References
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 12.
- ^ Boxer 1969, p. 70.
- ^ Van Nimwegen 2010, pp. 442–443.
- ^ Rodger 2004, p. 82.
- ^ Van Nimwegen 2020, p. 117.
- ^ Boxer 1969, p. 72.
- ^ Van Nimwegen 2020, p. 121.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 41-47.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 54.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 55-56.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 57-75.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 95-99.
- ^ Pritchard 2004, p. 277.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, pp. 111–116.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 101-121.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 123-150.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, pp. 155–161.
- ^ De Waard 1928, pp. 39–43.
- ^ De Waard 1928, p. 42.
- ^ Shomette & Haslach 1988, p. 153-176.
- ^ De Waard 1928, pp. 43.
- ISBN 9780807839171.
- ^ Shomette and Haslach, pp. 277-281
- ^ Douglas, Peter. "The man who Took back New Netherland" (PDF). New Netherland Institute. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
Sources
- Boxer, C. R. (1969). "Some Second Thoughts on the Third Anglo-Dutch War, 1672–1674". S2CID 159934682.
- Van Nimwegen, Olaf (2020). De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672-1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning (The 40 Years War 1672-1712: the Dutch struggle against the Sun King) (in Dutch). Prometheus. ISBN 978-90-446-3871-4.
- Van Nimwegen, Olaf (2010). The Dutch Army and the Military Revolutions, 1588–1688. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1843835752.
- Shomette, Donald G.; Haslach, Robert D. (1988). Raid on America: The Dutch Naval campaign of 1672-1674. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0788422454.
- Panhuysen, Luc (2009). Rampjaar 1672: Hoe de Republiek aan de ondergang ontsnapte. Uitgeverij Atlas. ISBN 9789045013282.
- De Waard, Cornelis (1928). De Zeeuwsche expeditie naar de West onder Cornelis Evertsen den Jonge 1672-1674: Nieuw Nederland een jaar onder Nederlandsch Bestuur) (in Dutch). Linschoten Vereeniging. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- Hattendorf, John B. “Competing Navies: Anglo-Dutch Naval Rivalry, 1652–88.” War, Trade and the State: Anglo-Dutch Conflict, 1652-89, edited by David Ormrod and Gijs Rommelse, NED-New edition, Boydell & Brewer, 2020, pp. 92–116. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvrdf15m.11. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023. 650 vessels captured
- Rodger, N. A. M. (2004). The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815. Penguin. ISBN 9780713994117.
- Pritchard, James (2004). In Search of Empire : The French in the Americas, 1670–1730. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521827423.