Trade and Herring in Dutch Society
Although the people of the Netherlands were at war with their Spanish rulers, the Dutch economy prospered between 1588 and 1648, and trade was at the heart of this prosperity The expansion of trade directly and indirectly brought increased employment opportunities: toward the middle of the seventeenth century, the fleet of trading ships employed almost 30,000 people, and the handling of cargoes in the ports provided work for large numbers of people. In addition there were those involved in the internal transport system, moving goods and people along the rivers and canals. Another important source of employment was provided by artisan production of various kinds; manufacturing was still labor-intensive– literally handwork -with very limited inputs of nonanimal energy, with the exception of the large-scale use of wind power for sawmills. Also the fisheries and secondary industries were important sources of employment. Although the import and re-export of goods through the staple-market(market for bulk commodities, especially raw materials) was paramount to the success of the trading economy, manufacturing and fisheries supplied valuable export products for foreign trade.
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