Join host John Green to learn about the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, doing business as the VOC, also known as the Dutch East India Company. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch managed to dominate world trade, and they did so through the pioneering use of corporations and finance. However, not all of their ways were new; traditional methods such as violently enforced monopolies, unfair trade agreements, and warfare also played a role in their growth. You'll learn how the Dutch came up with inventions including joint stock corporations, maritime insurance, and futures trading... and how all this affected the US economy in 2008.