Originally published in 1955, this book examines the first trade union between the Dutch and Belgian Netherlands, a precursor to the modern Benelux, from 1816 to 1830. Wright focuses on the role played by the trade agreement in uniting disparate parts of the Dutch provinces in Europe and abroad, and how, despite the union's relative success, politics undermined King William I's end goal of an independent Dutch Empire. This book will be of value to economic historians and anyone with an interest in Dutch history.