States of Utrecht were indirectly involved in colonial and slavery past
Utrecht University historians conducted research commissioned by the Province of Utrecht
The States of Utrecht were indirectly involved in the colonial and slavery past during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This is the conclusion of research carried out by historians from Utrecht University, commissioned by the Province of Utrecht.
Utrecht contributed to the colonial system
Although the States of Utrecht were not direct owners of overseas territories, plantations, or ships that transported enslaved people, they did contribute to the broader colonial system, concludes historian and researcher Alberto Feenstra. He has furthermore found no indication that the States ever raised moral objections to slavery.
It had been expected that the Utrecht Company would prove a significant colonial enterprise for the States of Utrecht. “The company is described as an investment in slavery, but there was no question of an investment by the States,” Feenstra notes. “Its importance also turned out to be smaller than thought, whilst the VOC and WIC prove to have been far more significant.”
“In the seventeenth century, the States of Utrecht had not succeeded in securing their own division or ‘chamber’ within the VOC and WIC. They were, however, permitted to send representatives to the Amsterdam chambers. Later, the States decided to invest in the VOC by purchasing a share, to exert greater influence. In this way, they gained direct interests in the VOC. The investment and direct interests are new and significant findings.”
New insights into the colonial past
The research offers new insights into the colonial past of the States of Utrecht, Feenstra explains. “On the one hand, it underscores the colonial ambitions of the States, which were quite explicit. At the same time, it shows that those ambitions were largely unrealised and that the colonial relationship remained limited.”
Feenstra discussed his findings with a scientific advisory committee comprising Christiaan van Bochove, Renger de Bruin, Esther Captain, and Joost Dankers (all of Utrecht University, with Captain also affiliated to KITLV).
In 2023, the provincial executive of Utrecht issued a formal apology for the involvement of the States of Utrecht in colonialism and slavery. Last year, the Province of Utrecht commissioned Utrecht University to investigate that colonial past.
“The slavery past forms part of our shared history,” says Deputy Rob van Muilekom. “This research contributes to greater knowledge and awareness of the role the States of Utrecht also played in the colonial past. By acknowledging this history, we are working towards recognition and a society in which everyone can participate.”