Editing Dutch Republic (section)

== Economy and society ==
The republic's economy depended heavily on maritime trade. Dutch ships carried bulk goods between European ports, and Amsterdam developed major commodity markets and financial institutions. Fishing and agriculture supported domestic supply, while urban workshops produced goods for local use and export.

The chartered trading companies combined commerce with armed expansion overseas. The Dutch East India Company established trading posts and colonial possessions in Asia. The Dutch West India Company operated in West Africa and the Americas. It waged war in support of Dutch commerce. Its business included plantation trade and participation in the Atlantic slave trade.

The Dutch Reformed Church held a privileged public position, but membership was not compulsory. Catholic and Lutheran communities lived in the republic under restrictions that varied by province and town. Jewish communities also became established in Dutch cities. The relative openness of those cities supported publishing and scholarship. Painting flourished during the seventeenth century. The same period produced scientific work and mapmaking.