Final answer:
The Dutch financed wars with the Portuguese before selling bonds for trade expeditions, helping establish their economic influence in the Caribbean and beyond. They did this by founding colonies and using companies like DEIC and DWIC to raise investor capital. Prior to selling bonds to finance trade expeditions, the Dutch used bond sales to finance various ventures, including the building of churches, land reclamation projects, and wars with the Portuguese.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Dutch East India Company (DEIC) and the Dutch West India Company (DWIC) were significant in establishing the Netherlands as an economic powerhouse in the Caribbean and other regions. They secured colonies to establish markets, and they financed wars to take over territories, all through raising capital from investors. This model of funding allowed the Dutch to become major players in the international sugar trade and the Atlantic slave trade, as well as challenging Spain's control over the Caribbean through the DWIC's success. Despite their economic might, politically, the Dutch managed to maintain only a small hold in the Caribbean with six small islands of the Lesser Antilles as colonies. Prior to selling bonds to finance trade expeditions, the Dutch used bond sales to finance various ventures, including the building of churches, land reclamation projects, and wars with the Portuguese.