Among the most important Dutch explorers were:

The French establishment was wiped out by the Spanish in 1565. With the capture of Fort Caroline, Huguenots either fled into the wild mainland or were killed in the subsequent massacre at Matanzas Inlet.

How did the Spanish respond to the French presence in Florida? The king sent his men to drive them out and set up a settlement in St. Augustine.

• Willem Barentsz (1550-1597). Searched for the northeast passage above Siberia.
• Henry Hudson (1565-1611).
• Willem Janszoon (1571-1638).
• Abel Tasman (1603-1659).
• Dirck Hartog.

Dutch involvement in the exploration of North America began almost accidentally in the spring of 1609, when the Lords Seventeen, the highest authority of the United East India Company (VOC), engaged the English navigator Henry Hudson to try to find a safe passage to the wealthy Spice Islands in the East.

The Dutch were the first to undisputedly explore and map Australia’s coastline. In the 17th century, the Dutch navigators charted almost three-quarters of the Australian coastline, except the east coast.

Common Questions About the Dutch in America Many of the Dutch immigrated to America to escape religious persecution. They were known for trading, particularly fur, which they obtained from the Native Americans in exchange for weapons.

From 1910, the Dutch created the most centralised state power in Southeast Asia. Politically, the highly centralised power structure, including the exorbitant powers of exile and censorship, established by the Dutch administration was carried over into the new Indonesian republic.

Thailand remains the only country in Southeast Asia not colonized by Europeans. All of its neighbors were controlled by either the British or the French. Burma and Malaysia being British colonies, and Laos and Cambodia being French ones.