359. Spice Wars: The Birth of New York (Ep 2)
Summary
Host William de Rumpel and historian Giles Milton explore the brutal 17th-century rivalry between the English and Dutch East India Companies over nutmeg. They detail the Dutch genocide in the Banda Islands, the siege of Run Island, and the Amboyna massacre. The episode concludes by explaining how losing this spice monopoly inadvertently pushed the English toward India, shaping their imperial future.
Topics discussed
Sponsor messages and podcast introduction
Introduction of Giles Milton and the spice trade context
The value of nutmeg and the Banda Islands
Dutch monopoly and Jan Pieterszoon Coen's brutality
The English siege of Run Island by Nathaniel Courthope
The failed relief mission and Dutch blockade
Courthope's death and the fall of Run
The Banda genocide and the Amboina massacre
The Treaty of Breda: Run for New York
Legacy of the spice trade and book promotion
Closing remarks and final sponsor ads
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