African islands and the formation of the Dutch Atlantic economy: Arguin, Gorée, Cape Verde and São Tomé, 1590–1670

Atlantic islands played a pivotal role in the expansion of European overseas empires, yet their significance within the Dutch maritime empire remains understudied. This study highlights the strategic importance of African islands—Arguin, Gorée, Cape Verde, and São Tomé—as linchpins in the 17th-century Dutch Atlantic economy. By analyzing notarial archives from Amsterdam, Dutch West India Company (WIC) records, and voyage journals, researchers demonstrate how these islands facilitated commercial circuits, strengthened colonial ambitions, and supported military strategies of the Dutch Republic and WIC. The findings underscore the geo-strategic value of these islands in shaping transcontinental trade networks and European maritime dominance during this period.

da Silva, F. R. (2014). African islands and the formation of the Dutch Atlantic economy: Arguin, Gorée, Cape Verde and São Tomé, 1590–1670. International Journal of Maritime History, 26(3), 549–567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414543447