The Dutch in Brazil: Sugar, Slaves, and New Holland

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Dutch colony of New Holland in Brazil during the 1630s and 40s. Under the governorship of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, the Dutch West India Company (WIC) carved out a thriving sugar-producing colony in northeastern Brazil. But behind the elegant architecture of Mauritsstad and the scientific expeditions of Georg Marcgraf and Willem Piso lay a brutal reliance on enslaved African labor. Lucas details the capture of Recife and Olinda, the construction of Vrijburg palace, and the eventual Portuguese reconquest. He also confronts the colony's dark legacy: the Dutch role in the transatlantic slave trade, which expanded dramatically during this period. The episode touches on key figures like Johannes de Laet, the VOC's historian, and the maroon communities of Palmares. Listeners will learn about the sugar boom, the WIC's ambitions, and how this forgotten chapter shaped Brazil and the Dutch Empire. #DutchBrazil #NewHolland #JohanMaurits #WIC #Sugar #SlaveTrade #Recife #Mauritsstad #Vrijburg #GeorgMarcgraf #WillemPiso #Palmares #DutchEmpire #GoldCoast #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialBrazil #TransatlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo