Battle of Jacobshavn

Not to be confused with Battle of Jakobstadt.
Battle of Jacobshavn
Part of the Danish-Dutch conflict over Greenland

Danish colony of Godthåb in Greenland
Date6 June 1739
Location
Jacobshavn, Greenland
69°13′N 51°06′W / 69.217°N 51.100°W / 69.217; -51.100
Result Danish victory
Territorial
changes		 Danish consolidation of Greenland
Belligerents
 Dutch whalers[1]
Commanders and leaders
Denmark–Norway Jacob Severin Unknown Surrendered
Strength
3 ships 4 ships
1 cannon
Casualties and losses
1 ship 4 ships captured
1 cannon

The Battle of Jacobshavn (Danish: Søslaget ved Jacobshavn, Dutch: Slag bij maklykout Greenlandic: Ilulissani qaleruaq eqqaani) also referred to as the Battle of Ilulissat, was a battle between Danish and Dutch ships over the control of Ilulissat (Then Jacobshavn) on 6 June 1739.[2] It has been the only naval battle fought over the rights of Greenland. The battle is sometimes also mentioned as the Battle of Maklykout,[3] referring to the Dutch name of the trading post.

Background

Further information: Danish colonization of the Americas and Bergen Greenland Company
Hans Egede
Portrait of Hans Egede, by Johan Horner. Egede was the first missionary to Greenland, soon establishing colonialism on the island.

Since the missions of Hans Egede, the Dano-Norwegians had been recolonizing Greenland.[4] Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway allowed for the establishment of the Bergen Greenland Company, which was charged with the administration and trade on Greenland.[5] Yet Frederick refused to grant the company a monopoly on the island in fear of antagonizing Dutch whalers in the area.[6] During the first decades of the company, it witnessed bankruptcy, diseases like smallpox[a] and scurvy,[7] and constant Dutch raids.[citation needed]

Whaling rivalry

See also: Noordsche Compagnie

Dutch whalers had been active in Greenland since the 17th century.[8] This resulted in constant conflict over the monopoly to the whaling industry and the trade with Inuit between Danes and Dutchmen.[8] Denmark-Norway claimed their historic rights to the island and pointed to the Norse settlements in Greenland, but also to the expeditions to Greenland by Christian IV and Frederick III,[8] The latter included the Greenlandic Polar Bear on his personal arms as a sign of Danish-Norwegian sovereignty over the island.[8]

On the other hand, the Dutch claimed the island on the basis of their expeditions and trade companies operating in the area.[8]

Because of the Bergen Company's early failure, the Dane Jacob Severin convinced the new King, Christian VI, and his council to grant the company a full monopoly over trade on Greenland in 1734.[5] Severin received the right to fly the Danebrog in order to fend off foreign ships.[9] He also expanded Danish presence on the west coast, establishing the settlements of Christianshåb (1734), Jacobshavn (1741), and Frederikshåb (1742) This unsatisfied the Dutch whalers in the area, and the opposing sides came in combat at Jacobshavn in 1739.[9]

Whaling, by H. Kobell, Jr. The whaling industry in Greenland was much executed by Dutch and English whalers.

Battle

A Dutch flotilla of four ships was moored in their harbourage Maklykout (which was later renamed Jacobshavn in honour of Jacob Severin[4]) outside of Disko Bay. The Dutch had started trading with the local Greenlanders when they were caught by three Danish ships commanded by Jacob Severin.[10] The Danes fired warning shots at the Dutch flotilla, yet the Dutch refused to leave the harbour. Severin attacked and the ensuing battle lasted about an hour, during which the Dutch suffered significant damage, before they lowered their flags, surrendered, and conceded their four ships to the Danes.[9][11][10] This battle led to the consolidation of Danish-Norwegian presence on the island,[10] and would be the only major naval battle fought over the rights of Greenland.[9]

See also

  • South Greenland – Danish inspectorate
  • Dutch colonial empire – Overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and the Netherlands
  • Battle of Öland – Naval battle between an allied Danish-Dutch fleet and the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea
  • Nuuk – Capital and largest city of Greenland

Notes

  1. ^ Two child converts were sent to Copenhagen for the coronation of Christian VI. They returned in 1733 with smallpox, devastating the island.

References

  1. ^ Andersen, Marianne. ILIMANAQ (PDF). Realdania By & Byg.
  2. ^ Egede, Niels (1939). Continuation af Hans Egedes Relationer fra Grønland; samt, Niels Egede: Beskrivelse over Grønland. Kommissionen for videnskabelige undersøgleser i Grønland.
  3. ^ Fenger, H.M. den grønlandske Missions Historie (PDF) (in Danish). p. 179.
  4. ^ a b Del, Anden. "Grønland som del af den bibelske fortælling – en 1700-tals studie Archived 2012-07-15 at the Wayback Machine" ["Greenland as Part of the Biblical Narrative – a Study of the 18th-Century"]. (in Danish)
  5. ^ a b "Det Bergen Grønlandske Compagnie". historiedysten.dk. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  6. ^ Marquardt, Ole. "Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.
  7. ^ Mirsky, Jeannette. To the Arctic!: The Story of Northern Exploration from Earliest Times. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1998.
  8. ^ a b c d e Bobé, Louis (1944). Hans Egede (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: C. A. Reitzels Forlag. pp. 60–70.
  9. ^ a b c d Rix, Robert (2023). The Vanished Settlers of Greenland. Cambridge University Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-009-35946-7.
  10. ^ a b c Andersen, Marianne. Poul Egedes Hus – bygd og beboere (PDF). p. 14.
  11. ^ Dahl, Svend. Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, Vahl - Willemoes (PDF). J. H. SCHULTZFORLAG. p. 79.