Critical Reasoning

Commonplace items sometimes play surprising roles in world development. For example, though most people today associate nutmeg with simple baked goods, this common spice once altered the course of political history. For centuries, the nutmeg tree grew only in the Banda Islands, a small chain in the southwest Pacific. Locals harvested the aromatic nuts of the tree and sold them to traders. Eventually these nuts, from which the spice is made, ended up as a luxury item in the European market, via Venetian spice merchants. Eager to establish a monopoly over this valuable spice, the Dutch attacked the Bandas, subjugating the native people in a mostly successful attempt to control the nutmeg trade.

However, one island in the Banda chain remained in the hands of the British and was the object of much conflict between the Netherlands and England. After many battles, the British offered to cede control of the island in exchange for New Amsterdam, a Dutch outpost on the east coast of North America. At the time, the Dutch, inveterate traders, were more interested in the spice trade than in the mercantile value of New Amsterdam and so accepted the offer. In 1667, the Treaty of Breda gave the Dutch complete control of the Banda Islands, and thus of the nutmeg trade, and gave the British New Amsterdam, which they promptly renamed New York.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the claim that New Amsterdam would have remained a Dutch possession if not for the conflict over nutmeg?

A) Attempts to cultivate nutmeg trees outside of the Banda Islands had failed.
B) Few people lived in New Amsterdam before it was ceded to the British.
C) The British controlled trade in other valuable spices, such as cloves.
D) New Amsterdam served as a trading center for furs exported to Europe.
E) The Netherlands controlled no North American territories other than New Amsterdam.

OA = After some discussion.

would go for D

bignasty666 wrote:would go for D

Can you please give your resoning with reasons to kick out other options ?

D: They traded new amsterdam for banda island as they (dutch) were more interested in spice trade . option D gives an example of new amsterdam being very important entity for Netherland in economic terms.
Thats why they might not have traded it as keeing it would have also benefited them financially.

Can you please tell why are you kicking out the rest of the options ?

A) Attempts to cultivate nutmeg trees outside of the Banda Islands had failed.

I would have chosen this option if it would have said , cultivating nutmeg in other places was also successful:)

B) Few people lived in New Amsterdam before it was ceded to the British.
How does no of people living in amsterdam affects the decision to tarde it or not.

I cant align it any reasonign to answer our question. If no of people was much higher than this choice could be an option as people might revolt or something. If no is less, its easy to tarde.

C) The British controlled trade in other valuable spices, such as cloves.
we are talking .

here we are talking about a spice which netherland controlled. How many spices or even other commodities british controlled doesnt have anything to do with this trade.

D) New Amsterdam served as a trading center for furs exported to Europe.
E) The Netherlands controlled no North American territories other than New Amsterdam.
out of scope:- just one terriority and just one spice is mentioned in the passage.

I think the answer is A.

It supports the claim that the Conflict is the reason why New Amsterdam was ceded to the Brits (same as the claim "New Amsterdam would have remained a Dutch possession if not for the conflict over nutmeg"). Therefore the Conflict was the cause for the loss of New Amsterdam. The correct answer should eliminate any alternate cause for the loss of New Amsterdam.

Option A eliminates any alternate cause for the conflict arising. The reason why the conflict arose in the first place, was because Nutmegs grew only in the Banda Chain of Islands which were viewed as Hot Property by the Contesting Powers of that day (The Dutch and the Brits). Were it possible to have grown the nutmegs outside Banda, the conflict may have arisen in another geographic location and that by itself could be an alternate cause. By stating that Nutmegs grew only in Banda, the possibility of conflict outside of Banda is eliminated. Does that make sense?

Thanks. OA is D.

But the question asks if "not" for some netberg trade.....

Can someone please tell if conflict would not have been there....then how D is relevant ? Why they would even bring the island on negotiation table ? So basically how does it matter whether island was important center for some XYZ trade ?

Basically what I think is that if conflict would not have been there...then dutch people will not have brought the things on negotiation table(at least of British) irrespective of whether the same is important for some reason or not.

Basically what fur trade has to do with this argument ?

the British offered Banda island to the Dutch in exchange for N. Amsterdam.

also note it says "the Dutch, inveterate traders"=> the Dutch were longtime/renowned traders or trading was their primary interest in the exchange offer. at the time of the offer Banda offered spice trading promises and N.Amsterdam commercial value. the Dutch preferred the former option as "trading" was their objective.

if N. Amsterdam offered trading promise as well, may be the Dutch would not have agreed to part with it. so if the conflict over nutmeg had not happened the N. Amsterdam with its trading offer would have been attractive for the Dutch and might have remained in their possession

its not the trade of fur that is important here. only the "trade" is. so D does strengthen the claim.

C also talks about trade, but we do not know if N. Amsterdam had anything to do with the trade.

scoobydooby wrote:the British offered Banda island to the Dutch in exchange for N. Amsterdam.

also note it says "the Dutch, inveterate traders"=> the Dutch were longtime/renowned traders or trading was their primary interest in the exchange offer. at the time of the offer Banda offered spice trading promises and N.Amsterdam commercial value. the Dutch preferred the former option as "trading" was their objective.

if N. Amsterdam offered trading promise as well, may be the Dutch would not have agreed to part with it. so if the conflict over nutmeg had not happened the N. Amsterdam with its trading offer would have been attractive for the Dutch and might have remained in their possession

its not the trade of fur that is important here. only the "trade" is. so D does strengthen the claim.

C also talks about trade, but we do not know if N. Amsterdam had anything to do with the trade.

Hi Scooby,

Thanks. But what really makes me think is that irrespective of trade importance or not.....that particular island would have been there with Dutch people only....if conflict would not have been there....then British would not have negotiated with Dutch...isn't it....

For what good that addition of Fur is there in option D ?

Don't u agree about the same ?

Thanks
Mohit

Yup! D. Anything to do with the spice, is not important here as we have to find out the benefits of New Amsterdam WITHOUT considering the nutmeg story. D is more credible than E.

This is not a CR question. This is an RC. I remember attending to this passage when I was taking a test (don't remember which one).

I agree with you guys. I also think that the right answer is D