Jonkman Enterprises: Difference between revisions

== History ==

 

The first Jonkman merchant houses (''handelhuysen'') were first established by [[Cornelis Jonkman]] in late 1691 - when he was still 17 - with his parents' support. He founded the company after he noticed that the West India Company neglected commerce in frontier areas. He bought goods from these frontier areas and sold them at a markup in New Amsterdam and other cities. By 1720, the Jonkman company had twenty merchant houses throughout many regions of New Netherland.

 

The company continued to expand its operations and wealth slowly throughout the 1700s, outlasting several other local corporations which went bankrupt. Petrus Jonkman, the son of Cornelis Jonkman, took over in the 1720s. He was contrasted with the elite and power-hungry Patroon families who ran the colony of New Netherland.

 

In 1789, being one of the largest trading companies of New Netherland already, sought to diversify. It bought out many minor companies and trading outposts, giving it a foothold in Latin America and Asia immediately after [[History of New Netherland#New Netherland Independence (1795-1796)|New Netherland gained its independence]]. They participated in forming economic ties between New Netherland and countries such as [[Mexico]], [[Florida]], and [[Tauland]].

 

With the dawn of the 19th century, the company started to transform. The Jonkmans invested into mining, shipbuilding, ship transport, and early railroad development. By 1826, it owned 60% of all the railroads and the steamliners in the New Amsterdam metropolitan area. They worked to connect key manufacturing hubs to major commercial centers and opened textile mills.

 

With a new administration in power under [[History of New Netherland#Reign of Hendrick II van Ackerhuys (1836-1855)|Hendrick II]] in the early-to-mid 1800s, New Netherland began developing at a rapid pace. Jonkman expanded their operations into shipbuilding and chemicals during this time too. Despite the authoritarian regime at the time, the Jonkman company remained popular among the middle class. The Jonkman heirs began to exert their influence over elite society by marrying into wealthy families and expressing their generosity through philanthropy programs.

 

When the Republic of New Netherland was founded, the Jonkman company found itself in an interesting position. It discreetly maintained its relationship with the old Patroon elite and yet continued to develop amicable relations with the new Republican regime.