The So-Called Golden Age: The Dutch Republic

During the so-called Golden Age, which almost covers the entire 17th century, the United Provinces of the Netherlands, experienced a blooming economy in the fields of trading, agriculture, science ,and arts. Also politically and military (navy) the Dutch were world leaders. How could it be that a country of insignificant size could grow into such an economic power? The presence of tolerance is a quality that distinguished the Netherlands from most other countries in that time and it is probable that this quality was a major reason for their dominant position in Europe.
The Dutch Republic was only just established when the most important era of their history began. In fact “the Dutch were in the springtime of their nationality”. Unlike in most
The Swiss Protestant J.B. Stouppe, for instance, said that Dutch toleration was “a product of the indifference, and insincerity, of the regents of which the inevitable result was a fragmented society”. Furthermore, although the Netherlands is often praised for not having ruled out certain minorities, there are also critical notes like that “this indulgence had not been guided by any high principle of tolerance, but by pragmatism: “Foreigners, whatever their religion, were good for the economy, and the same was true for peaceful coexistence instead of conflict.”
Politically the Netherlands differed from the surrounding countries because it was a Republic and not an absolutist monarchy. This means that the power was not centralized in the hands of the King and a small group of nobility. All provinces had a “Stadholder”, and “disputes should be settled by their mediation”. The Republic at that time was known as a society which was very tolerant to the middle class: “a unique societal construction, which allowed the successful middle class to become the most powerful/influential members of