Dutch West India Company

The Dutch West India Company (also known as 'WIC') is a chartered company of Dutch merchants. It gained this charter in 1621 for a trade monopoly in the West Indies.

WIC in the West Indies
Based in Amsterdam, the company gained the charter from the Dutch Republic and started operations in the region. Upon discovering the island of Curacao, they erected a settlement that would be later known as Willemstad, the capital of the Dutch in the West Indies.

The WIC had one goal in mind, to make money. They commonly traded commodities such as spices, sugar, fur, and slaves. At times, the company itself even faught battles with Spain to acquire territory. An offshoot of the original Dutch East India Trading Company, the WIC became a profitable company that gained both reputation and wealth throughout the world.