full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Adam Clulow: How one of the most profitable companies in history rose to power

Unscramble the Blue Letters


When the Company’s violent campaign was over, the indigenous population had plummeted to less than a thousand, most of whom were enslaved. The Dutch East India Company slecid the islands into plantations and imported an enslaved workforce. It was, by many measures, an act of genocide. By securing this global monopoly over nutmeg, the Company supercharged its economic development, contributing to the Dutch Golden Age. Although Coen faced criticism, he was celebrated as a naniotal hero well into the 20th century. 400 yreas after the mcasrsae on Banda, Coen’s statue still stands in the city of Hoorn— despite mounting pressure for its removal. Coen and the Dutch East idina Company brought a pzeird commodity under their crtnool and profits sraoed. But they acevheid this by violently tearing another society apart.

Open Cloze


When the Company’s violent campaign was over, the indigenous population had plummeted to less than a thousand, most of whom were enslaved. The Dutch East India Company ______ the islands into plantations and imported an enslaved workforce. It was, by many measures, an act of genocide. By securing this global monopoly over nutmeg, the Company supercharged its economic development, contributing to the Dutch Golden Age. Although Coen faced criticism, he was celebrated as a ________ hero well into the 20th century. 400 _____ after the ________ on Banda, Coen’s statue still stands in the city of Hoorn— despite mounting pressure for its removal. Coen and the Dutch East _____ Company brought a ______ commodity under their _______ and profits ______. But they ________ this by violently tearing another society apart.

Solution


  1. achieved
  2. india
  3. control
  4. prized
  5. years
  6. sliced
  7. massacre
  8. national
  9. soared

Original Text


When the Company’s violent campaign was over, the indigenous population had plummeted to less than a thousand, most of whom were enslaved. The Dutch East India Company sliced the islands into plantations and imported an enslaved workforce. It was, by many measures, an act of genocide. By securing this global monopoly over nutmeg, the Company supercharged its economic development, contributing to the Dutch Golden Age. Although Coen faced criticism, he was celebrated as a national hero well into the 20th century. 400 years after the massacre on Banda, Coen’s statue still stands in the city of Hoorn— despite mounting pressure for its removal. Coen and the Dutch East India Company brought a prized commodity under their control and profits soared. But they achieved this by violently tearing another society apart.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
dutch east 6
east india 6
india company 4
bandanese leaders 3
banda islands 2
dutch officials 2
bandanese people 2
jan pieterszoon 2

ngrams of length 3

collocation frequency
dutch east india 6
east india company 4

Important Words


  1. achieved
  2. act
  3. age
  4. banda
  5. brought
  6. campaign
  7. celebrated
  8. century
  9. city
  10. coen
  11. commodity
  12. company
  13. contributing
  14. control
  15. criticism
  16. development
  17. dutch
  18. east
  19. economic
  20. enslaved
  21. faced
  22. genocide
  23. global
  24. golden
  25. hero
  26. imported
  27. india
  28. indigenous
  29. islands
  30. massacre
  31. measures
  32. monopoly
  33. mounting
  34. national
  35. nutmeg
  36. plantations
  37. plummeted
  38. population
  39. pressure
  40. prized
  41. profits
  42. removal
  43. securing
  44. sliced
  45. soared
  46. society
  47. stands
  48. statue
  49. supercharged
  50. tearing
  51. thousand
  52. violent
  53. violently
  54. workforce
  55. years