The Society of Humanitarianism (Maatschappij van Weldadigheid) was a Dutch private organisation set up in 1818 by general Johannes van den Bosch

Johannes van den Bosch

Johannes, Count van den Bosch was a Dutch Lieutenant General and politician.-Biography:...

 to help poor families, mostly from the big cities, improve their lot in the aftermath of the Napoleonic French occupation by granting them farming land. He petitoned William I of the Netherlands

William I of the Netherlands

William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....

 for its formation and bought uncultivated land in Drenthe

Drenthe

Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...

 for the poor to exploit. The Landgoed 'Westerbeeksloot' in what is now Frederiksoord was the society's administrative centre.