Program Information

Beginning in the early 1600s, the lure of profits from spices attracted European trading companies to the exotic lands of the East Indies.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: Beginning in the early 1600s, the lure of profits from spices attracted European trading companies to the exotic lands of the East Indies.

Intro: A Moment In Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: The drive to acquire the spices from these islands and other riches from the Orient had gripped the European imagination since medieval times and had motivated such navigators and explorers as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. Spices such as cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon were highly valued for food preservation, medicinal purposes, and as ways of enhancing the flavor of food and drink. East India Companies were trading companies formed in Western Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries to promote trade, primarily in spices. They became the vanguard of the colonial enterprise. Their destination: the 13,000 islands of the eastern Indonesian archipelago (commonly called the Spice Islands), situated near the Equator. Today they are known as the Moluccas.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to organize the East Indies trade after Vasco de Gama established the Cape of Good Hope route in 1497. The Portuguese dominated the spice trade for the 100 years and for a short time Portugal was one of the wealthiest nations in Europe. Following the Portuguese, western European nations and later the newly founded United States, in various degrees, entered the spice race, eager to displace indigenous Asian traders and gain economic and political power in the region. The Dutch government chartered its own trading company in 1602, and the Dutch, through great investment and shrewd tactics, went on to become the masters of the quest to dominate this profitable spice trade. Next Time: The Dutch East India Company.

Research assistance by Annette Ardler and Ann H. Johnson. The producer of A Moment In Time is Steve Clark. At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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