Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T13:04:51.416Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

France and the Dutch Colonial Empire in the Nineteenth Century1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2010

Louis Sicking
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In the historiography of the colonial empires in the nineteenth century, much attention has been paid to the large European powers Britain and France. When the Dutch colonial empire is studied in an international context it is mostly in relation to the British empire. However, little or no attention has been given by scholars to Franco-Dutch colonial relations. This is surprising given the fact that after Britain, France and the Netherlands were the second and third largest colonial empires. Three Franco-Dutch colonial frontiers existed: in South America between French Guyana and Surinam, in the Caribbean on the island of St Martin and in Africa on the Gold Coast. In Asia, where the most important Dutch colony, Indonesia, was located, the French and Dutch did not have neighbouring possessions. Nonetheless, because of its location, Indonesia was highly important for navigation between France and Indo-China. In each of the regions mentioned above, French colonial administrators or private individuals developed plans to extend French territory at the expense of the Dutch: on St Martin from 1843 to 1853, on the Gold Coast from 1867 to 1871, in South America from 1887 to 1891 in Indonesia in 1888. This article will focus on nineteenth century France-Dutch colonial relations and will. address such questions as: what were the motives of the French administrators and how effectively did they exert pressure on the metropolitan government in order to effect their schemes? What was the role of special interest groups? And finally how did the Netherlands react? Being a small European power, how were they able to resist the French?

Type
Articles
Information
Itinerario , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , March 1998 , pp. 41 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © Research Institute for History, Leiden University 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Notes

2 Martin, J., L'empire renaissant, 1789-1871 (Paris 1987) 87-88 and 291.Google ScholarYacono, X., Histoire de la colonisation franfaise (Paris 1988) 35.Google ScholarMeyer, J., Tarrade, J., Rey-Goldzeiguer, A. and Thobie, J., Histoire de la France coloniale I: Des origines à 1914 (Paris 1991) 349–350Google Scholar.

3 De Moges to Naval and Colonial Affairs, 22 January 1843, Archives Nationales/Centre des Archives d'Outre-Mer Aix-en-Provence (CAOM), Section d'Outre-Mer (SOM), série Géographique Guadeloupe c88 d617.

4 Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs 9 June 1843; Naval Affairs to De Moges 29 July 1843, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d617.

5 Recent French acquisitions were Gabon, Grand-Bassam, Assinie, Tahiti, the Marquises and Mayotte. Foreign Affairs to Naval Affairs 10 August 1843, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d617.

6 Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs 26 September 1843, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d617.

7 In 1844 there were 2,445 slaves on French St Martin. Guadeloupe and its dependencies in total counted 92,322 slaves that year. Report of the attorney-general on Guadeloupe 15 November 1844, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c259 d1555. For the sugar culture and slavery on Guadeloupe and its dependencies see Schnakenbourg, C., La crise du système esclavagiste, 1835-1847 I: Histoire de l'industrie sucrière en Guadeloupe aux XIXe et XXe siècles (Paris 1980)Google Scholar.

8 Petition of the sugar planters of French St Martin to the Assemblee nationale législative 1 August 1849, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d617.

9 One can even say that the developments on St Martin formed an impetus for the abolition movement on the Netherlands Antilles. Goslinga, C., A Short History on the Netherlands Antilles and Surinam (The Hague, Boston, London 1979) 135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar For the slavery and its abolition on Dutch St Martin see Paula, A.F., ‘Vrije’ Slaven: Een Sociaal-Historische Studie over de Dualistische Slavenemancipatie op Nederlands Sint Maarten 1816-1863 (Zutphen 1993)Google Scholar.

10 Tacklin to the commander of French St Martin 30 June 1849, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe C88 d619.

11 The commander of French St Martin to the governor of Dutch St Martin 30 June and 3 July 1849; The Dutch governor to the French commander 2 July 1849, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d619.

12 The governor of Guadeloupe to Naval Affairs 25 July and 26 August 1849; Naval Affairs to the governor of Guadeloupe (Paris) 13 07 1849Google Scholar; Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs (Paris) 28 March 1850, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d619.

13 On the consequences of the abolition on French St Martin for the Dutch: Paula, ‘Vrije’ Sloven, 95-98.

14 The governor of Guadeloupe to Naval Affairs 25 February 1850, CAOM, SOM, Guade loupe, c88 d617.

15 These rumours were a consequence of the establishment in 1853 of a Dutch commission that had to make proposals on the preparation of the abolition in the Dutch West Indies. Fasseur, C., ‘Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen, 1795-1914’ in: Bogaart, E. van den et al., Overzee: Nederlandse Koloniale Geschiedmis, 1590-1975 (Bussum 1982) 196.Google ScholarPaula, , ‘Vrije’ Slaven, 137–141Google Scholar.

16 Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs 30 April 1853, and to the governor of Guadeloupe (Paris) 10 October 1853, CAOM, SOM, Guadeloupe c88 d617.

17 On the production of salt on French St Martin: Monnier, Y., ‘L'immuable et le changeant’, etude de lapartiefranfaise de Saint-Martin: lies et archipels I (Bordeaux 1983) 42–45.Google Scholar A.F. Perrinon, partisan of Victor Schoelcher, played an important role in the development of the salt exploitation on French St Martin. Adelaide-Merlande, J., ‘Perrinon: La Guadeloupe et Saint-Martin’, Cahiers de lafondation Schoelcher II (n.d.) 4–11.Google ScholarPerrinon, A.F., ‘Résultats d'expériences sur le travail des esclaves’, Annales maritimes et coloniales 32, 3/2 (3rd series)Google Scholar; Revue Coloniale (1847) 477–490Google Scholar.

18 The governor of Guadeloupe to Naval Affairs 19 November and 27 December 1853; The commander of St Pierre and Miquelon to Naval Affairs 8 July 1853, CAOM, SOM, Guade loupe c88 d617.

19 Dantzig, A. van, ‘Le traité d'échange de territoires sur la Côte de l'Or entre la Grande Bretagne et les Pays-Bas en 1867’, Cahiers d'études africaines 13/4 (1st cahier; 1963) 69–97CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

20 Schnapper, B., La politique et le commerce francais dans le Golfe de Guinée, de 1838 à 1871 (Paris and The Hague 1961) 241Google Scholar.

21 Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs 5 August 1867 and to rear-admiral Dauriac 19 December 1867, CAOM, SOM, Ministere des Colonies, Gabon I/7a.

22 Fleuriot de Langle to the Minister of Naval Affairs 4 May 1867, CAOM, SOM, Afrique IV/15b. Matson, J.N., ‘The French at Amoku’, Transactions of the Gold Coast and Togoland Historical Society I section 2 (1953) 47–61Google Scholar.

23 Naval Affairs to Fleuriot de Langle 20 June 1867, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/6a. Foreign Affairs to Naval Affairs 6 July 1867, CAOM, SOM, Afrique IV/15b.

24 Fleuriot de Langle to Naval Affairs 10 September and 27 and 30 December 1867, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/6b. Schnapper, , Politique, 212Google Scholar.

25 Fleuriot de Langle to Naval Affairs 28/30 November 1869, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/7c. Naval Affairs to Foreign Affairs 16January 1874, CAOM, SOM, Gabon XV/4.

26 Ward, W.E.F., A History of the Gold Coast (London 1948) 231.Google Scholar The most recent study of the Asante in the nineteenth century is Edgerton, R.B., The Fall of the Asante Empire (New York 1995)Google Scholar.

27 Dantzig, Van, ‘Traite’, £96Google Scholar. Ward, , Gold Coast, 232–234Google Scholar. Rear-admiral Dauriac to Naval Affairs 22 July 1868, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/7c.

28 Feinberg, H.M., ‘Who are the Elmina?’, Ghana Notes and Queries (1970-1971) 20–26Google Scholar. Baesjou, R. ed., An Asante Embassy on the Gold Coast: The Mission ofAkyempon Yaw to Elmina, 1869-1872 (Leiden and Cambridge 1979) 16 and 28Google Scholar. Ward, , Gold Coast, 236Google Scholar.

29 Dauriac to Naval Affairs 22 July and 22 September 1869; Dauriac to the commander of Assinie 7 October 1869, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/7c.

30 Coombs, D., The Gold Coast: Britain and the Netherlands, 1850-1874 (London 1963) 42Google Scholar.

31 Dantzig, Van, ‘Traité’, 95Google Scholar. Baesjou, , Asante Embassy, 15–16 and 33–35Google Scholar. Rear-admiral Bourgois to Naval Affairs 29 June 1870 and 20 February 1871, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/9b.

32 Rear-admiral Bourgois to Naval Affairs 20 February 1871, CAOM, SOM, Gabon I/9b. Schnapper, , Politique, 253.Google ScholarAtger, P., La France en Côte d'lvoire de 1843 à 1893: Cinquante ans d'hésitations politiques et commerriales (Dakar 1962) 61Google Scholar.

33 Kuitenbrouwer, M., Nederland en de Opkomst van het Modeme Imperialisms: Koloniën en Buitenlandse Politick 1870-1902 (Amsterdam and Dieren 1985) 43–47, 54Google Scholar.

34 The governor of French Guyana to Naval Affairs 21 October 1887, CAOM, SOM, série géographique Guyane c39 d3 (03); the governor of Surinam to the governor of French Guyana 30 June 1886, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3(04); A. Vitalo to Naval Affairs 2 July 1887; Naval Affairs to the governor of French Guyana 9 July 1887, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c171/6. Kuitenbrouwer, , Nederland, 95Google Scholar.

35 Grand Man Anato to the governor of French Guyana 2 January 1887, 25 April 1888, 14 January 1889, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (04-06); Naval Affairs to the governor of French Guyana 9 July 1887; Foreign Affairs to Naval Affairs 22 January 1889, CAOM, SOM, Guyane cl 71/6. Price, R., The Guiana Maroons: A Historical and Bibliographical Introduction (Baltimore and London 1976)Google Scholar.

36 The governor of French Guyana to the governor of Surinam 16 August 1886, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (04). Foreign Affairs Netherlands (NL) to French ambassador (The Hague) 15 October 1887, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (05). Woltring, J. ed., Bescheiden Betreffende de Buitenlandse Politiek van Nederland, 1848-1919: 2nd period, 1871-1898 IV: 1886-1890 (The Hague 1968) 202–204Google Scholar.

37 French ambassador in The Hague to Foreign Affairs (NL) 29 February 1868; Foreign Affairs to Naval Affairs 30 March 1888; the governor of French Guyana to Naval Affairs 31 May and 2 June 1888, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (05).

38 Woltring, , Bescheiden, 307 and 331–336Google Scholar.

39 Ibid. 307, 311, 321–324, 381–383, 388–390, 392–394 and 403–406.

40 Foreign Affairs to Naval Affairs 6 December 1888 and 13 March 1889, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (05) (06). Woltring, Bescheiden, 382, 395–396, 415, 560–561 and 607–609.

41 Foreign Affairs tot Naval Affairs 30 January 1890 and February 1890, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c39 d3 (07). Woltring, , Bescheiden, 603–604, 624 and 631–632.Google ScholarKuitenbrouwer, , Nederland, 96Google Scholar.

42 Woltring, , Bescheiden V: 1891–1919 (The Hague 1970) 158–160Google Scholar.

43 Protocol of the conference at Saint-Laurent 23 August 1891; The governor of French Guyana to Naval Affairs 31 August 1891; Naval Affairs to the governor of French Guyana 12 October 1891; French ambassador in The Hague to Foreign Affairs 8 October 1891, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c40 d3 (11). Woltring, , Bescheiden V, 188–191Google Scholar.

44 Wesseling, H.L., ‘Le modèle colonial hollandais dans la théorie coloniale française, 1880-1914’, Revue française d'histoire d'Outre-Mer 63 (1976) 235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarWesseling, , ‘Les Pays-Bas et le partage de l'Afrique noir: à propos de la conference de Berlin, 1884-1885’, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Etudes africaines offertes à Henri Brunschwig (Paris 1982) 146.Google ScholarKuitenbrouwer, , Nederland, 205–206Google Scholar.

45 Woltring, , Bescheiden IV, 382Google Scholar.

46 Foreign Affairs to Colonial Affairs 24 December 1894, CAOM, SOM, Guyane c40 d3 (11).

47 Correspondence Naval and Colonial Affairs 12 February, 13 and 23 March 1889, CAOM, SOM, série Géographique Indochine nouveau fond c118 d1085.

48 Meyer, , Histoire de la France coloniale I, 602–603Google Scholar.

49 Errington de la Croix to Naval and Colonial Affairs 22 November 1888, CAOM, SOM, Indochine nouveau fond c118 d1085.

50 Naval and Colonial Affairs to Errington de la Croix 30 March 1889, CAOM, SOM, Indo chine nouveau fond c118 d1085.

51 van den Doel, H.W., Het Rijk van Insulinde: Opkomst en Ondergang van een Nederlandse Kolonie (Vianen 1996) 127.Google ScholarBossenbroek, M.P., Van Holland naar Indië: Het Transport van Koloniale Troepen voor het Oost-Indische Leger, 1815-1909 (Amsterdam en Dieren 1986) 14.Google ScholarKuitenbrouwer, , Nederland, 66-67 and 74–75Google Scholar.

52 de Boer, M.G., Zeehaven en Kolenstation Sabang, 1899-1924 (Amsterdam 1924) 6.Google ScholarMoreau, H., Les estates maritimes: Le port de Sabang (Indes Néerlandaises) (Paris 1926) 80–81Google Scholar.

53 à Campo, J.N.F.M, Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij: Stoomvaart en Staatsvorming in de Indonesische Archipel, 1888-1914 (Hilversum 1992) 161–162Google Scholar.

54 Wesseling, H.L., Indië Verloren, Rampspoed Geboren (Amsterdam 1988) 188–189Google Scholar.