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Timeline of Dutch Golden Age events from 1581 to 1701.
3
A DAY IN THE LIFE DURING ... THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE
by Jacquelin Cangro
Meet Birgitta, a Dutch teen who witnesses tulip fever firsthand
working in her family’s store in the market of Haarlem.
4
A PASSION FOR FREEDOM: THE DUTCH REVOLT
Deborah Bryson
Two hundred years before settlers in the American colonies
declared their independence, the Dutch revolted against the
powerful king of Spain. They wanted fair representation in
their government, relief from high taxes, and freedom of conscience
in religious matters. Read how the Dutch fight for freedom,
the longest in European history, ushered in modern ideas about
government, the relationship between church and state, and
human rights.
6
WILD ABOUT TULIPS
Deborah Bryson
Bones, shells, beads, coins, and even teeth have all been used
as money at some point in history. In the seventeenth century,
people in the Dutch United Provinces found something else to
exchange for goods and services. If you found this object hidden
in the soil of your garden, you might mistake it for a small
brown onion. During the winter of 1636, Dutch citizens traded
these plain bulbs for boats, houses, and their life savings.
Discover how the Dutch went wild for tulips.
10
A GOLDEN BORDER: FAMOUS IMMGRANTS
Abigail Mieko Vargus
When the going gets tough, the tough get going … to Holland!
At least, for many in the seventeenth century, the Dutch way
of life offered greater opportunities than they could find
in their homelands. Throughout the Golden Age, Amsterdam and
other cities in the Netherlands became home – sometimes
permanently, sometimes just for a while – to many immigrants.
Find out who some of the famous Dutch immigrant names that
grace our history books are.
14
WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT REMBRANDT?
Barbara Diggs
You’ve probably heard the name Rembrandt before. You
probably know that Rembrandt is considered one of the greatest
painters, ever. You even may have seen a painting by Rembrandt
in a museum. We’ll show you exactly what’s so great
about Rembrandt and his work.
17
THE MYSTERY OF VERMEER,THE SPHINX OF DELFT
L.S. Carlson
Many people have tried to solve the mysteries surrounding the artist Johannes Vermeer, the last great master of the Dutch Golden Age. Some scholars even refer to him as the Sphinx of Delft because they have so many unanswered questions about his life. In this article, we’ll examine why we know so little about him and he left so few paintings behind.
25
JUDITH LEYSTER
Rebekah Roberts
The story of Judith Leyster has all the makings of a great
television miniseries – beautiful location, romance,
a villain, mystery, possible forgery. Judith was a vital
part of the Dutch Golden Age. Learn more about this artist,
a painter of landscapes, self-portraits, and scenes from
Dutch daily life.
28
DEJIMA: WINDOW TO THE WEST
Sara Francis Fujimura
In 1639, when Japan slammed her doors closed to the rest of
the world, the Dutch opened a small window to the West. On
the tiny, manmade island of Dejima in the Bay of Nagasaki,
discover how the Dutch operated a trading post to bring in
European goods, as well as languages and ideas, to their Japanese
hosts.
31
CAPTAIN ABEL JANSZOON TASMAN: THE DUTCH MAGELLAN
Wendy Smith
In their Golden Age, much of Dutch wealth came from the sea.
During this time, the Dutch were responsible for many advances
in ocean travel and trade. Read how one man, Captain Abel
Janszoon Tasman, the famous navigator of the Dutch Golden
Age, accomplished some of the greatest of these advances.
35
WINDMILLS TO THE RESCUE
James Sutherland
The idea of the windmill – an engine powered by the wind
to produce energy for doing work – goes back over a thousand
years to ancient Persia. From there it spread over the following
centuries eastwards to China. Crusaders returning from battles
in the Middle East brought the idea to medieval Europe. By
the 1400s, windmills could be seen from
Greece to Ireland performing a very humble task: grinding grain
for the daily bread. But one European country, the Netherlands,
nearly owes its existence to windmills. The Dutch people considered
windmills so important they built more than ten thousand. Uncover
why the Dutch went for windmills in such a big way.
38
FROM THE BEEMSTER TO DUBAI
Rachel Boehm
The geography of the Netherlands is mostly flat; the country
sits either below sea level or barely above it. The Netherlands
is also located at the mouth of three major rivers: the Rhine,
the Meuse, and the Scheldt. Because of this, the Dutch people
have always been concerned with the relationship between land
and water. Find out how this relationship has shaped Dutch
engineering projects from the Beemster Polder to islands in
Dubai.
42
CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS’S ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES
Emily Peterson Whitby
In 1655, using this telescope, Huygens discovered the largest
of Saturn’s moons, Titan. This discovery was only the
beginning. A short time later, he was able to solve one of
the greatest mysteries of the time concerning Saturn itself.
Find out what this mystery was as well as his other astronomical
discoveries.
46
HUYGENS’S CLOCK: IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TIMING
Alison Shuman
Today, we take the accuracy of our clocks for granted. We have
clocks on our cell phones, computers, hanging on our walls,
in our cars, on our wrists. The time
is announced on the radio, printed on receipts, and is sometimes
displayed on signs and billboards. Many cities and towns even
have a telephone number you can call to check the time. Would
it have been that way if you lived in 1650? Learn how the pendulum
clock started us on our timely path.
52
THE GOLDEN AGE OF DELFTWARE
Tamara Moffet
The Dutch revolt against Spain had a large impact on Dutch
culture in the Golden Age. It brought about economic success
and a thriving artistic community. It also gave the people
new feelings of national pride. The growing middle class came
to value ideals such as refinement, cleanliness, and pride
in the home. Out of this environment came the famous delftware
ceramics industry. The clean and elegant design was a perfect
mirror of these values. Despite several challenges, delftware
was one of the most successful industries of the Dutch Golden
Age. Find out the story behind this popular product still admired
today.
55
FIRST ANGLO-DUTCH WAR
William Silvester
The First Anglo-Dutch War was very different from most wars.
Usually wars are fought by rival armies attacking each other
on land, but the First Anglo-Dutch War was fought entirely
at sea. Learn why two former allies who had fought against
the mighty Spanish Empire turned their navies on one another.
58
ARTS & CRAFTS
Page
DOUBLE DUTCH DAIRY by
Tiffany Fisher
44
DUTCH BREAKFAST, MIDDAY SUPPER, AND MORE by
Christine Gable
12
LITERATURE STUDY GUIDES
Page
VERMEER’S DAUGHTER (Middle School) by Catherine Morin
61
THE BLACK TULIP (High School) by Jim Cort
63
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