Invasion of Surinam (1667)

The Invasion of Surinam in 1667 was a pivotal event in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, resulting in the English colony of Surinam being captured by a Dutch squadron under the command of Abraham Crijnssen. This seizure marked the beginning of Dutch rule over Surinam, a territory that would remain under Dutch control (with brief interruptions) until its independence in 1975.

Prior to the invasion, Surinam had been an English colony since the 1650s, having been established under the leadership of Lord Willoughby. The colony's economy was primarily based on the cultivation of sugar, relying heavily on enslaved African labor.

Crijnssen's expedition departed from the Dutch province of Zeeland in late 1666 with a small fleet. He sailed across the Atlantic and landed in Surinam in February 1667. The English defenses were relatively weak, and after a brief but decisive engagement, the Dutch forces were able to overcome the English garrison. Fort Willoughby, the main English stronghold, was captured and renamed Fort Zeelandia.

Following the successful invasion, Crijnssen established a Dutch administration and secured the colony for the Dutch Republic. The Treaty of Breda, signed later that year, formally recognized the Dutch claim to Surinam, while England received New Netherland (including New Amsterdam, which became New York) in exchange. This exchange solidified the territorial gains made during the war and had lasting consequences for the geopolitical landscape of North America and South America.