Fellowships 2024 - Valentijn Tilder

On 14 June 1763 part of the crew of the Dutch East Indiaman Nijenburg took control of the ship. The new commanders ordered the vessel to set course for Brazil. After a chaotic journey across the Atlantic the mutiny was discovered at the French colonial outpost Cayenne, after which a number of mutineers were returned to the Dutch Republic to prosecuted and punished. The mutiny of the Nijenburg quickly grew into one the most notorious mutinies of the eighteenth century. As soon as the news reached the Republic it turned into a media sensation, with booklets, pamphlets, songs, and prints describing the event. Even the transcripts of the criminal hearings were set to print and sold. On the coast along the shipping route a special scaffold was constructed for the punishment of the mutineers. Both the Dutch authorities and greater public seemed to desire for information, interpretation and grand gesture that showed that this kind of insubordination would not be tolerated.

Cultural dimensions of the mutiny

As J.C.M. Warnsinck fellow I study the cultural dimensions of the mutiny: why did this particular mutiny capture the public's imagination so much? What does it tell us about how early modern Dutch society imagined life at sea, the place of seamen and the legitimacy of resistance to authority? 

Resistance in the Republic

Scholars have generally seen daily life in the Dutch Republic as far less turbulent than in neighboring areas. Compared to France or England, internal divisions among the ruling classes did not tear apart society at large, and the lower classes were generally prone to rebellion, according to the American sociologist Emmanuel Wallerstein. Even dramatic political episodes like the execution of Van Oldenbarnevelt or the lynching of the De Witt brothers did not spark large scale civil war. However, underneath the surface there were constant moments of resistance. Authority and political decisions were frequently met with refutations from below. Insubordination was also a common occurrence. Mutiny was constant concern for the authorities on board. 

Significance of the mutiny on the Nijenburg

The great public interest in the mutiny on the Nijenburg make the case a unique window into how people in the Dutch Republic viewed rebellion, seamen, and social order. My aim is to gain greater insight into the role of resistance in early modern Dutch society.