Cohabitation, Suriname-Style: English Inhabitants in Dutch Suriname after 1667

Abstract

Colonial transitions to new regimes wrought unpredictable outcomes. In 1667 Dutch forces conquered the English colony of Suriname, and in an ensuing treaty, the English and Dutch agreed to “cohabit” the colony. This article draws on Dutch and English sources to investigate this little-known experiment in cohabitation during an era when colonies changed hands frequently and inhabitants often found themselves forced to adapt to new rulers. Cohabitation, Suriname-style, was an uneasy and protracted negotiation, in which some English found prosperity and community, while others pined for a new home. It was an experiment in Anglo-Dutch relations in a century when the two nations met as rivals around the world and devised a variety of strategies to live together. In Suriname thirteen years of conflict ensued over whether the English might stay or go. Cohabitation succeeded in some respects as a daily practice but ultimately failed as a formal colonial policy because most of the English voted with their feet and left for other destinations. The unsuccessful strategy transformed Suriname and had implications for the Caribbean region and for Anglo-Dutch relations in a vital period of transition.