Did You Know… The Dutch Side Invaded The French Side Once?
Coexistence between the northern and southern side of St. Maarten / St. Martin has overall been cordial for over 350 years. With that, its its tradition of open borders, preceded alliances like the European Union for a long time. But as a strategically located island on an important trade route, St. Maarten has been the décor for superpower struggles many times. The Spanish claimed the island twice, and armies of both the European Netherlands and France transgressed the border on various occasions due to developments in Europe and beyond.
One time however, struggles were wholly domestic. A Dutch side militia initiated an expedition in 1793 leading to two years of “occupation” of the French side by the Dutch side until 1795, and influenced St. Maarten / St. Martin history for two years.
Prevention of a St. Maarten Revolution
Key in this drama was the increasing effects of enlightenment throughout the world, and the American and French revolution resulting from these new ideologies.
In the Netherlands, the republic of the 17th century over time had made place for a de facto monarchy under the House of Orange. The supporters of stadtholder William were increasingly at odds with “patriot” factions inspired by the liberty and equality driven revolutions in the United States and France.
Commander Rink of St. Maarten was part of the first, and had concerns about the revolutionary paradigms gaining ground in continental France and the Netherlands, and by extension on island. Rink founded a group of like-minded people called the Orange Company. At their own initiative and without Rinks’ knowledge, sixteen of those went on an armed expedition in the early morning of sunday May 19th 1793. The company existed amongst others from Engle James Richardson, John Willem Worm and Abraham Heyliger, the latter being its leader.
The target of the expedition was Fort St. Louis, towering over Marigot, the French side capital. The expedition easily took possession of the fort, not expecting any overland invasion.
As soon as Rink learnt of the actions of his fellow Orangists, he followed suit with government militia, making the effort no longer a peoples uprising but an official occupation. Rink and French side commander Jean Sebastien de Durat created a contract of eight articles, clearly devised to suppress the revolutionary movements growing in France and elsewhere. The articles served to preserve the status quo, to release prisoners from Fort St. Louis and to protect against “enemies of the wellbeing”, which can be considered more domestic than foreign in this case. Though the contract and consecutive policies treated the two sides as separate entities to safeguard continuity, Rink was effectively now commanding both sides of the island. Fort Louis was renamed Fort Willem Frederik, after the son of the stadtholder.
This “occupation” would remain until “patriot” forces in the continental Netherlands chased the Stadtholder away to the United Kingdom in 1795, changed the country’s name in the “Batave Republic” and allied itself with revolutionary France. Now, enlightenment values and factions became dominant on both sides of the Atlantic. Republican forces on Guadeloupe reconquered the French Side and annexed the Dutch side in the process. This time, citizens were forced to celebrate the victory of enlightenment over the monarchic elements of the Orangists, victorious only two years previously, turning back the one time Dutch side St. Maarten invaded the French side.
Back to VISIT St Maarten / St Martin Main Page