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Next: 31 Jul 2027

Treaty of Breda and the island of Run

On 31 July 1667, England and the Dutch settled their war, leaving the nutmeg island of Run to the Dutch and New Amsterdam to England.

Contemporary engraving showing the Peace conference of Breda between England and United Netherlands in 1667 [detail]
Photo: Romeyn de Hooghe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices for Treaty of Breda and the island of Run

Under the Treaty of Breda, the Dutch kept Run, a tiny nutmeg-bearing island in the Banda group, and England kept New Amsterdam, which became New York. In the 17th century nutmeg was worth far more than land, and the story has become a favourite example of how spices drove politics. The Dutch later ensured their monopoly by uprooting trees elsewhere, until nutmeg seedlings were taken to other colonies, including Grenada.

The spices

NutmegThe prize of the Banda Islands.

Also part of it, and being written: Mace (The red aril of the seed.).

About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Treaty of Breda (1667)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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