EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...
EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...
EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...
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government. Leopold’s position as a Protestant monarch over a C<strong>at</strong>holic country did not<br />
seem to affect his actions in this regard, unless it could be used to his advantage in<br />
negoti<strong>at</strong>ions for his colonial aspir<strong>at</strong>ions. 92<br />
<strong>The</strong> popul<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> Belgium in 1830 was three and a half million people. In the<br />
preceding thirty years it had transformed itself from an overwhelmingly agricultural<br />
economy to the strongest industrial economy after th<strong>at</strong> <strong>of</strong> Gre<strong>at</strong> Britain. <strong>The</strong> costs, as<br />
we have seen, were extremely high in terms <strong>of</strong> the social fabric. <strong>The</strong> migr<strong>at</strong>ions to the<br />
cities where also accompanied by some migr<strong>at</strong>ion to France and Holland. Most <strong>of</strong> this<br />
migr<strong>at</strong>ion, however, seems to have been by artisans and merchants—those who could<br />
afford to leave. 93 <strong>The</strong> popul<strong>at</strong>ion density <strong>of</strong> Belgium <strong>at</strong> this time was second only to<br />
Holland, in terms <strong>of</strong> Europe. Again, there was no large scale <strong>at</strong>tempt to emigr<strong>at</strong>e. <strong>The</strong><br />
vast number <strong>of</strong> unemployed and destitute stayed in Belgium. Why? Most <strong>of</strong> them did<br />
not seem to want to leave. 94<br />
By virtue <strong>of</strong> its recent cre<strong>at</strong>ion, Belgium had no titled aristocracy, old or new, to<br />
be disrupted by the political and economic changes <strong>of</strong> its early years. But there was a<br />
pool <strong>of</strong> military <strong>of</strong>ficers and entrepreneurs available due to the industrial wealth cre<strong>at</strong>ed<br />
by its growing industrial middle class. <strong>The</strong>se were men available for overseas<br />
adventures, should they present themselves.<br />
92<br />
Leopold I was protestant but considered religion something personal and not to be forced.<br />
93<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was emigr<strong>at</strong>ion to the United St<strong>at</strong>es th<strong>at</strong> was not <strong>of</strong> a governmental or commercial<br />
n<strong>at</strong>ure. See Torsten Feys, “<strong>The</strong> Emigr<strong>at</strong>ion Policy <strong>of</strong> the Belgian Government from Belgium to the United<br />
St<strong>at</strong>es Through the Port <strong>of</strong> Antwerp 1842-1914” (M.S. thesis, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Gent, 2003).<br />
94<br />
Most preferred to stay in Belgium, migr<strong>at</strong>ing especially to the cities which became gre<strong>at</strong>ly<br />
overcrowded. Some <strong>of</strong> this reluctance to leave can certainly be explained by the horror stories from those<br />
returning from Santo Tomas and Santa C<strong>at</strong>arina.<br />
50