Capable Entrepreneurs: The Women Merchants and Traders of New Netherland

Abstract

This chapter discusses the various aspects of commerce that women engaged in as they traveled between New Netherland and patria and the increased contacts with diverse regional Atlantic areas including the English colonies of Maryland and Virginia. It discusses the geographical and commercial nature of these two ports, underline the importance of the Dutch cultural and legal frameworks that supported women's commercial activities, and describe the various occupations and enterprises in which women were engaged, illustrating each of these through the individual experiences of New Netherland women. The processes of trading in the Dutch Republic were repeated in New Netherland, supported by the laws, and society's acceptance that enabled women to engage in trade. These women, even at a modest level, had commercial acumen and so-called commercial complexities presented few problems for Dutch women, such capable entrepreneurs, in this age. Keywords:cultural framework; entrepreneurs; legal framework; New Netherland; trading; women merchants