Golden Age of Amsterdam

The period from 1585 to 1672 is considered the Golden Age of Amsterdam. The town’s busy and profitable ports launched ships to North America, Indonesia, Brazil, and Africa, forming the basis for worldwide trade. Local merchants financed expeditions to the New World, allowing the city to acquire overseas properties. Those properties eventually formed into some of America’s early colonies. Dutch explorers first settled the southern tip of Manhattan, dubbing it New Amsterdam until the British seized the area in 1664 and changed the name to New York.

 

Amsterdam experienced not only great commercial success during the Golden Age, but significant expansion as well. The city’s characteristic and defining cityscape took shape during 1613 to 1663 as the town organized itself around a planned canal system. There was artistic advancement as well, as Rembrandt lived and painted during this time. He produced over 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 2,000 drawings through the course of his life, sealing his legacy as the Netherlands’ most important artist. The landscape even prospered, as flower bulbs imported from Turkey took root in the area’s rich soil, creating fields of glorious tulips. 

 

Some of Amsterdam’s most important buildings date back to the Golden Age as economic success allowed for prolific urban growth. The city’s modern thriving diamond industry is traced back to the Golden Age, when merchants from Antwerp fled to Amsterdam after Spanish invasion.

 

The ongoing war with Spain finally ended in 1648. By that time, the Netherlands operated a staggering 2,700 trading ships.