East Indiamen off a Coast

Departure of the fleet of Jacob van Neck, 1598 by Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, 1599. After a fourteen-month voyage to Asia, in July 1599 Van Neck returned with a valuable cargo (mainly spices) to Amsterdam. It was the first successful Dutch trading expedition to the Indonesian archipelago. The voyage was financed by a group of Amsterdam merchants who combined to back the venture. Their example was soon emulated. Companies were formed in several cities. This was followed by the foundation of an umbrella enterprise. To be able to compete more effectively with foreign rivals, the grand pensionary, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt proposed that the different companies unite to form the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company or VOC) which was duly founded in 1602.