Piet Hein
Piet Hein was a notable figure in the 17th-century maritime history of the Netherlands, born in Delfshaven near Rotterdam to a fisherman who also engaged in privateering. His early life was steeped in the seafaring traditions of the Dutch, who were known for their adeptness at navigating treacherous waters and engaging in trade and warfare against larger powers, particularly Spain. Hein's career as a privateer flourished during a tumultuous time when the Dutch were fighting for their independence, which was formally recognized in 1648, with Hein playing a crucial role in this struggle.
As a vice admiral of the Dutch West India Company, he led successful naval expeditions, including the famous capture of the Spanish treasure fleet in 1628, which became a significant event in Dutch maritime history. This victory not only enriched the Dutch West India Company but also solidified Hein's status as a national hero. His later life saw him appointed as admiral-in-chief, where he focused on protecting Dutch shipping routes until his untimely death in 1629 during a daring attack against privateers.
Hein's legacy is remembered for his contributions to Dutch maritime power, and his exploits resonate in folklore, emphasizing the impact of his actions on the independence and economic strength of the Netherlands during a crucial period in its history.
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Piet Hein
Dutch military leader
- Born: November 15, 1577
- Birthplace: Delfshaven, Holland
- Died: June 18, 1629
- Place of death: At sea, near Dungeness, off the coast of Dunkirk
Hein aided the Netherlands substantially in its breakaway from Spanish control. He defeated the Spanish and Portuguese several times in naval combat, including the most celebrated capture of treasure ships in the history of the Spanish Main.
Early Life
Piet Hein (peet hin) was born in the small port town of Delfshaven on the Meuse River near Rotterdam. He was christened Pieter Pieterszoon Heyn but is known to history simply as Piet Hein. His father was an ordinary Dutch fisherman, but he secured additional income from privateering and trade and earned a modest living for his family. Piet learned seamanship from his father, whom he accompanied on voyages into the North Sea. The fishing boats of that period were small but were armed with two or three cannons and sailed in fleets for mutual protection against both Spanish and French corsairs.
The Dutch had declared their independence from Spain in 1581, but maintaining that independence took decades. Catholic Spain refused to accept the Reformed Protestant faith of the United Provinces or their self-governing constitutional autonomy. With valor and determination, the Dutch prevented the most powerful nation in the world in the sixteenth century from controlling the small country of Holland. In 1609, a Twelve Years’ Truce began, but war between Spain and Holland resumed in 1621, culminating in Hein’s celebrated capture of the combined treasure fleet in 1628 off the coast of Cuba. By then, the Spanish knew that they were not going to regain control of the Netherlands. Nevertheless, it was not until the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 that Spain officially recognized the independence of the Netherlands.
That was the international situation that faced Hein during his entire life. The Dutch had always been a seafaring people, but in the seventeenth century they had the largest merchant marine in the world, well in excess of the combined merchant fleets of Spain, Portugal, France, Scotland, and Germany. Spain, however, had a large navy while the Dutch relied on privateers, armed vessels that were also involved in fishing and trade. Some 10 percent of the adult male population of Holland made their living on the ocean.
Every time Hein ventured from shore, usually merely to catch fish to help support his family, he risked armed confrontation with the Spanish or with privateers authorized by the Spanish to attack Dutch ships. At the age of twenty, he was captured at sea and spent the next four years as a Spanish galley rower. He gained his freedom in 1601 in an exchange of Dutch and Spanish prisoners.
Life’s Work
Hein became a director of the Dutch West India Company in 1621, the same year Spain renewed hostilities with the Netherlands. In 1623, he was appointed vice admiral of the fleet of the Dutch West India Company and sailed with twenty-six ships with five hundred guns, sixteen hundred sailors, and seventeen hundred soldiers to attack São Salvador on the coast of Brazil. Spain ruled Portugal at the time, so Brazil was also controlled by Spain. The Dutch objective was to secure a base there for depredations against Spanish shipping in the Caribbean.
São Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and was strongly fortified by three forts. Fifteen large Spanish ships defended the bay. Into that strong position Hein led his column of ships and fought a three-hour gun battle and then boarded the Spanish ships. Seven Spanish ships were burned, but the Dutch captured the other eight. This sudden disaster enabled the intrepid Hein and his aggressive fighters to climb to the top of the nine-foot walls and, with darkness closing in, spike the Spanish guns and blow up the ammunition depot.
Hein left behind a garrison of troops and set sail with his eight Spanish ships heavily loaded with sugar, wines, oils, and spices. Though greatly outnumbered, the Dutch had defeated a Spanish fleet and captured a Spanish stronghold. The reception at home in the Netherlands was joyful; Hein was promoted to admiral. For two years, the new admiral sailed the Caribbean, capturing whatever Spanish prizes he could find. He returned to Holland and then was given the assignment that resulted in one of the greatest losses ever inflicted on the Spanish and made Piet Hein’s name known throughout the European and American worlds.
The Spanish had four main ports—Veracruz, Havana, Porto Bello, and Cartagena—in which to rendezvous the two annual treasure fleets, the one from Peru and the other from Mexico. The Dutch knew that all four ports were too strong to permit an attack in port. The best place, they judged, to waylay the fleet was outside Havana harbor. With surprising ease, Hein and his thirty ships caught nine Spanish treasure ships from Mexico running along the Cuban coast and trapped six more in Matanzas Bay. The treasure taken and sent to Holland included 177,537 pounds of silver in chests and bars, 135 pounds of gold, 37,375 hides, 2,270 chests of indigo, 7,691 pieces of logwood, 735 chests of cochineal, 235 chests of sugar, and some pearls, spices, and various tropical products. The total value of the booty was 11,509,524 Dutch florins, the greatest theft in the history of the Spanish-American Empire. The profits enabled the Dutch West India Company to pay a phenomenal dividend of 50 percent to stockholders that year. The sailors involved were given a rather small share, and Hein received only seven thousand guilders. The unfortunate Spanish admiral was imprisoned for two years by the Spanish king and then executed. Hein, however, was given a hero’s welcome and wined and dined in many parts of Holland and even with the Prince of Orange and the king of Bohemia. His admirers even wrote a little song to Piet which has become part of Dutch folklore:
Piet Heyn, Piet Heyn, Piet Heyn,
That same year, Hein, at fifty, decided that he had had enough of action and retired from the sea to a comfortable home in Delft. His retirement ended less than a year later, when Hein was appointed admiral-in-chief and lieutenant general of Holland. His first task was to clear the English Channel of privateers who were wreaking havoc with Dutch shipping. In May of 1629, the new admiral-in-chief sailed in a single reconnaissance ship along the Channel off Dunkirk. He sighted three privateers on June 18, and, following his lifelong habit of aggressive daring, he immediately attacked the three ships and was killed by an enemy shot. His enraged men captured the privateers and threw all survivors overboard. The jubilation of the previous year was reversed as the Spanish rejoiced and the Dutch mourned.
Significance
In the seventeenth century, the Dutch could not maintain their independence, culture, and maritime economy without a strong fleet. The entire nation owed much to Hein and the men who served with him in protecting Dutch trade routes worldwide. They left their mark all over the world as many of the place names in both the East Indies and West Indies were given permanent Dutch names, such as Spitsbergen, Cape Hoorn, and New Zealand. Superior seamanship and superior ships enabled the tiny nation to influence events far more than would be expected by the population figures of that small nation along the coast of Europe. That Hein played a significant role in persuading the Spanish to recognize finally the independence of the Netherlands should be obvious.
Bibliography
Allen, Thomas B. “Cuba’s Golden Past.” National Geographic 200, no. 1 (July, 2001): 74. Describes the gold coins and other treasures from shipwrecked pirate ships that are now displayed at a museum in Havana, Cuba. Recounts Hein’s capture of a treasure fleet off the coast of Cuba in 1628.
Geyl, Pieter. The Netherlands in the Seventeenth Century. Rev. ed. London: Ernest Benn, 1961. Provides information about the seventeenth century Dutch maritime system, a detailed description of Hein’s maritime exploits, and an explanation of his significance during that period of history.
Haley, K. H. D. The Dutch in the Seventeenth Century. London: Thames and Hudson, 1972. The 158 illustrations, including sketches, maps, coins, monuments, and portraits, make this a particularly attractive book. Describes the Dutch civilization and economy of the seventeenth century, placing Hein in this historical setting.
Israel, Jonathan I. The Dutch Republic and the Hispanic World, 1606-1661. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1982. Describes life in Spain and the Dutch Republic during the seventeenth century and examines the relationship of the two countries. Features a lengthy section on the war between the Spanish and Dutch in the Caribbean, including a detailed description of Hein’s victory at Matanzas Bay in Cuba.
Parker, Geoffrey. Spain and the Netherlands, 1559-1659. Short Hills, N.J.: Enslow, 1979. An important interpretive study of the diplomatic relations of Spain and Holland. Deals with such topics as why the Dutch revolt lasted so long, the larger world of international politics to which this conflict belonged, and the economic consequences of the revolt.
Peterson, Mendel. The Funnel of Gold. Boston: Little, Brown, 1975. The best treatment in English of the protracted war for treasures in the Caribbean in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Discusses in detail the ships, weaponry, and tactics of that era, including a description of Hein’s fighting abilities and techniques. Also includes an account of the capture of 1628 in Hein’s own words.