1. William III of Orange (r. England 1689-1702) 1516 Charles of Habsburg becomes King of Spain and Netherlands 1519-56 Reign of Charles as Holy Roman Emperor (Charles V) Map Link: The Netherlands, 1559-1609: <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/ Northern_Netherlands_map_002.jpgNorthern_Netherlands_map_002.jpg>.

2. 1556-98 Reign of Philip II of Spain 1560s Philip starts promoting Catholicism in Netherlands William the Silent of Nassau/Orange (1533-84) Summer 1566 Dutch rebel against Philip

3. Aug 1567 Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the “Iron Duke” of Alba, arrives in Brussels, establishes “Council of Blood” “Sea Beggars” 1573 Alba recalled

4. 1578 Philip calls on Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, to quell rebellion 1579 Farnese persuades Spanish/ Southern Netherlands to sign Union of Arras William of Orange unites Dutch United Provinces with Union of Utrecht

5. 1584 Death of William of Orange. Succeeded by Maurice of Nassau (1567-1625) 1585 English troops aid Dutch revolt 1609 Truce between Spanish and Dutch 1648 Dutch Republic gains independence at Westphalia

6. Trade and exploration: Carrying trade, exploring to east and west Cape Horn (Hoorn) 1602 Establishment of Dutch East India Company 1641 Japanese expel foreign merchants, but Dutch allowed presence near Nagasaki

7. Trade and exploration: 1612 Foundation of New Amsterdam 1621 Establishment of Dutch West India Company 1652 Dutch capture Cape of Good Hope Afrikaners Bank of Amsterdam, est. 1609florins

8. Frans Hals (1582/83-1666) Jan Vermeer (1632-75) Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69)

9. Hugo Grotius (1583-1645): Law of War and Peace Baruch Spinoza (1632-77): philosophy Christian Huyghens (1629-95): telescope (improvement), pendulum clocks, rings of Saturn, wave theory of light Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-78): The Learned Maid, or Whether a Maid may be Called a Scholar

10. An age of religious tolerance? Early 17th c. Dutch Calvinists split into Dutch Reformed Church and Arminians/ Remonstrants 1632 Toleration of Arminians Catholics, Jews, Mennonites Limits of tolerance

11. Government: States General, with representatives from each of the seven provinces Each province headed by elected stadholder Republic headed by stadholder from House of Orange Commercial class vs. House of Orange 1650 Death of William II of Orange (1626-50). No new stadholder elected

12. 1650 Birth of William III of Orange (d. 1702) 1651 English pass Navigation Act 1652-74 Wars between Dutch and English. New Amsterdam taken by English in 1664, renamed New York 1677 William marries Mary Stuart

13. 1667 Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715) invades Spanish Netherlands, deterred by Dutch-English- Swedish alliance 1672 Louis XIV attacks Dutch Republic. William of Orange acclaimed as stadholder (House of Orange made hereditary stadholders in 1673)

14. William allies with Danes, Brandenburg, Habsburgs 1678-79 Treaties of Nimwegen 1689 William becomes King of England Further Dutch wars with French in early 18th c.

15. The Decline of the Dutch Republic: Dwindling finances, esp. because of competition in trade Lack of investment in technology, agriculture, land reclamation Loss of originality in art and writing Corruption in politics Decline of tolerance in religion and society

16. Dutch Declaration of Independence (1581)

17. Sir William Temple (1628-99) Essayist, statesman and diplomat Observations upon the United Provinces of the Netherlands