Colonization, Piracy, and Trade in Early Modern Europe: The Roles of Powerful Women and Queens ed. by Estelle Paranque et al. (review)

Is it possible to write a global history of early modern women? The volume Colonization, Piracy, and Trade in Early Modern Europe: The Roles of Powerful Women and Queens vividly demonstrates that such an attempt is not only conceivable but also rewarding for the historical discipline as a whole. Nate Probasco, Estelle Paranque, and Claire Jowitt, editors of the book under review, aim "to more fully understand how prominent women wielded authority in colonization, piracy, and trade, three pursuits traditionally seen and celebrated as masculine spheres of activity" (3).

Colonization, Piracy, and Trade in Early Modern Europe: The Roles of Powerful Women and Queens investigates the sometimes unexpected ways women "influenced how nations, companies, and individuals colonized and traded" (3). By exploring politics, diplomacy, and literature, the collection offers a rethinking of what constituted "power" and a reconsideration of how not only queens but also women from humble backgrounds operated as part of political culture and played key roles in the making of global connections.

The book is divided into three parts—"Demonstration of Power," "Diplomatic Strategies," and "Exotic Encounters"—each of which looks at a series of interrelated themes, investigating the ways in which global politics was inflected by questions of gender. Following the idea that "an analysis of gender and power provides important insight into the workings of European societies" (4), the nine contributions study the many-sided strategies and negotiations women developed in order to stay in power or to increase their power.

The originality of the first section consists in its focus on how European queens influenced imperialism and colonization. Jonathan Woods explores the conflict between Mary I and Mary of Guise, focusing on Mary I's goal of enforcing her sovereignty over Ireland. In an innovative case study of Catherine de Medici and Huguenot colonization, Nate Probasco shows how the queen regent used emigration to the Americas and Central Europe to pacify France during the Wars of Religion, to appear as a loyal member of the Catholic side, and to demonstrate her control over the French population as well as over the maritime routes leading to the "New World." Estelle Paranque offers interesting insights on an important early modern institution—the governorate of the Spanish Netherlands. Isabel Clara Eugenia, the Infanta of Spain and widow of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, held this position between 1621 and 1633. She proved to be a skilful strategist, willing and able to make independent decisions in the fields of trade and warfare on behalf of the Spanish Empire. The three chapters of this section give convincing arguments in support of the idea that women actively participated in the global migrations of the early modern age and even provided a decisive impetus for this movement.

The second section is devoted to "diplomatic strategies," a field that has been significantly reconsidered in the last decades. Lisa Hopkins reconstructs the diplomatic networks and strategies of the two rivals for the Cyprian throne, Caterina Cornaro and her sister-in-law Carlotta de Lusignan. The final victory of Caterina demonstrates the persistence of Venetian influence in the Mediterranean. It also sheds light on the power communication could provide, in this case a well-articulated iconography. Valentina Caldari explores the issue of María Ana's agency in the negotiation of her own intended marriage with Charles, son of James I of England. By attributing the failure of the negotiation to María Ana's lack of influence over Charles in matters of trade and colonization, Caldari offers a strong statement about the central role queens played in politics in general and in imperialism in particular. In the last chapter of the section, Junko Thérèse Takeda builds on the "new diplomatic history" in order to show how...