A Mania for Tulips! The Economic Craze that Rocked the Dutch Republic

April 28, 2018June 17, 2018 historynavigator2 Comments

Take a moment to imagine that by selling a single tulip bulb that you would be able to pay off your entire house. You could even use that profit to buy a better and grander house. You could get that nice car you always dreamed about just by selling a single bulb! Not even the flower itself! This may sound crazy or just wishful thinking, but during the 1630s in the Dutch Republic a Tulip Mania occurred!

I don’t have the proper conversion between 17th century guilders to today’s American currency, but from my research I have found comparisons. Mike Dash, author of Tulipomania, describes that in 1633 one bulb of Semper Augustus was worth 5,000 guilders which quickly rose to 10,000 guilders by 1637. He states “It was enough to feed, clothe and house a whole Dutch family for half a lifetime, or sufficient to purchase one of the grandest homes on the most fashionable canal in Amsterdam for cash, complete with a coach house and an 80ft garden…” To me this is just incredible, but you have to remember that tulips were much rarer during this period and many of the most expensive bulbs were unique strains of the flower. Continue reading “A Mania for Tulips! The Economic Craze that Rocked the Dutch Republic” →

art history · english history · history

Preserved in Time: The London Shipwreck

November 17, 2017November 25, 2017 historynavigatorLeave a comment

As a kid I dreamed (and lets be real still wishes) of being an archaeologist. You get to travel the world and discover the lost secrets of history. You get to be the first to touch something that no living person has touched in hundreds of years. I imagine it would feel like you would have some connection to those who came before you and, honestly, I want to feel like I am experiencing what others before me did. It would almost be like you were time traveling. Unfortunately, I grew up and the realities of life set in such as student debt, a good salary, and finding stability. A girl can still dream though!

I bring this up because I have been following an amazing archaeological find of our current day. Found in the Thames River in London, a great ship from the 17th century was found impeccably preserved. Talk about traveling back in time! Much of The London, which was the name the ship was known as, was preserved under a deep layer of mud and silt. Continue reading “Preserved in Time: The London Shipwreck” →

biography · history

Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz

September 7, 2017September 26, 2017 historynavigatorLeave a comment

“Like men, do women not have a rational soul? Why then shall they not enjoy the privilege of the enlightenment of letters? Is a woman’s soul not as receptive to God’s grace and glory as a man’s? Then why is she not able to receive learning and knowledge, which are lesser gifts? What divine revelation, what regulation of the Church, what rule of reason framed for us such a severe law?”– From a Spiritual Self Defense, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

I have recently been watching the Netflix show titled Juana Ines. It is a very enjoyable historical drama and I thought all the actors were very good. I love these types of shows because they always inspire me to look into the real events and people. I never knew about the genius nun, Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, from Mexico (then New Spain) during the 17th century. Sor Juana loved to learn and study, yet she was constantly in conflict with the restrictions for women during her time. I admire her because she continued to fight to follow her dreams. In her writings she fought for a woman’s right to learn and questioned the norms of society at the time. She was much ahead of her time in that respect. How had I not been taught her incredible story before? She was a genius, a brilliant writer, and a fighter for the rights of women.

Continue reading “Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz” →