SAIL Amsterdam

Also the National Museum, the Maritime Museum of Tijen not expect much "... that fits the HuichelHollander not look ... why is it only on the surface floating entertainment and fun ... where is the substance?" In his explanation refers From Tijen to the City Archives that a list presented on the website of historical slave ships on which the archive data are available. In total there were on these trips more than 125,000 enslaved Africans involved.

Blessed Sugarcane

That list includes for instance the ship Blessed Sugarcane for that transported in 1745 327 Africans to the Guianas. There are probably 27 died during the crossing, because 300 have been sold according to the documents. The archive in which it is described, from the archives of the family Bicker (of Bickerseiland). The same ship makes another trip in 1752 (from 331 286 Africans sold into slavery) and in 1754 (from 289 to 250 come alive to be sold in the slave markets).

Sail visitors will not soon 18th century documents will look at the City Archives (they are indeed available online), but can the city and look for traces of the history of slavery. In 2014 we published a bilingual guide Slavery Amsterdam, for sale in the museum shop of the Amsterdam Museum and many other places. More than 100 locations refer to Amsterdam plantation owners, the places where the slave trade was determined (eg the Town Hall on the Dam), the factories where the sugar from the 'blessed cane "was processed and to locations where battle was waged against slavery.

Black Heritage

Those who prefer to go by boat or on foot in search of traces of the predatory state, contact the Black Heritage Tours Amsterdam, founded by Jennifer Tosch, one of my co-authors of the guide. A trip by private boat along the black heritage of Amsterdam and the traces of Amsterdam's history of slavery, such as the official residence of the mayor which was once home slaver Paul Godin.

And of course also in the museum something to find, in the Amsterdam Museum, Rijksmuseum, Tropical Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Dutch Golden Age in the Hermitage. Tijen is right that we do not shout from the rooftops. Hopefully he will put the flyer and distribute this blog a couple of million committed to sail goers have to look at the dark side of our maritime past.
Learn more about the dark side of the "golden past to future gold" image of Sail and the Amsterdam maritime past: read the Guide Amsterdam Slavery. Jennifer Tosch, Dineke Stam, Kosmopolis Utrecht, Dienke Hondius. You may purchase a copy of the book at the Geelvinck-Hinlopen Museum (633 Keizersgracht), ABC Book Center (Spui) or online at: Blackheritagetours.com.