A week to remember: Dutch publishers and the competition for news from Brazil, 26 August-2 September 1624

The Dutch conquest of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil in May 1624 constituted the first major defeat for the Habsburg monarchy in the New World. When the good news reached the United Provinces in the final week of August, newspapermen and publishers did their level best to quickly provide the public with reliable information on events in America. This article discusses their activities until the early days of September, when the victory in Brazil had become common knowledge. It demonstrates that even publishers who had anticipated the good news struggled to keep pace with developments, and shows how the authorities attempted to take control of the flow of information. In subsequent weeks and months, other publishers also looked to cash in on the widespread enthusiasm over the triumph. Thus 1624 became a crucial year for Dutch Americana.