Ligging van de Britse en de Nederlandse schepen tijdens het bombardement van Algiers, 1816 1816

Willem George Frederik Heijmans made this print depicting the British and Dutch ships during the bombardment of Algiers in 1816. This event was ostensibly about ending the practice of enslaving Europeans, but it took place in a world shaped by colonialism and power struggles. Looking at this orderly arrangement of ships, consider that each vessel carried its own world. It was staffed by men from different walks of life, each with their own dreams, fears, and prejudices. We might reflect on the lives impacted by the raid and consider how identity and nationality played a central role in this moment. What did it mean to be British or Dutch at this time, and how did that identity affect one's role in these events? This image invites us to consider the ways in which individual lives are always bound up in larger historical narratives, and the complex interplay of power, identity, and violence that shapes our world.