EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 6 MIN
Dutch Saltpeter: How Gunpowder Made the Golden Age
from The Story of the Netherlands: Trade, Empire, and Innovation — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Dutch obsession with saltpeter — the key ingredient of gunpowder — and how the Republic became Europe's powder keg. They trace the supply chain from Bengal to Amsterdam, the deadly 1651 kruitramp in Delft that leveled a neighborhood, and the secretive trade of Elias Trip that kept the cannons firing. Along the way, they discuss VOC contracts, sulfur from Iceland, and the high-stakes diplomacy of the saltpeter trade. A story of profit, peril, and the explosive foundation of Dutch power. #Saltpeter #Gunpowder #DutchRepublic #EliasTrip #VOC #WIC #Kruitramp #DelftExplosion #Bengal #IcelandSulfur #Amsterdam #GoldenAge #17thCentury #MilitaryHistory #TradeHistory #Netherlands #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Dutch obsession with saltpeter — the key ingredient of gunpowder — and how the Republic became Europe's powder keg. They trace the supply chain from Bengal to Amsterdam, the deadly 1651 kruitramp in Delft that leveled a neighborhood, and the secretive trade of Elias Trip that kept the cannons firing. Along the way, they discuss VOC contracts, sulfur from Iceland, and the high-stakes diplomacy of the saltpeter trade. A story of profit, peril, and the explosive foundation of Dutch power. #Saltpeter #Gunpowder #DutchRepublic #EliasTrip #VOC #WIC #Kruitramp #DelftExplosion #Bengal #IcelandSulfur #Amsterdam #GoldenAge #17thCentury #MilitaryHistory #TradeHistory #Netherlands #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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Dutch Saltpeter: How Gunpowder Made the Golden Age
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