| 1555 |
Accession of Philip II of Spain as ruler over the seventeen provinces of the Netherlands.
|
| 1568 |
Revolt crushed by Alva, Spanish military governor, followed by a reign of terror aginst rebels and heretics.
|
| 1572 |
Capture of Brill by the Sea Beggars, followed by a revolt in other places in Holland and Zeeland.
|
| 1574 |
Failure of the Spaniards at the Siege of Leiden.
|
| 1575 |
Foundation of Leiden University.
|
| 1578 |
In a coup known as the 'Alteratie', the city of Amsterdam goes over to the rebels.
|
| 1579 |
Union of Utrecht, eventually joined by the seven northern provinces.
|
| 1581 |
Act of Abjuration, renouncing the authority of Philip II.
|
| 1584 |
Assassination of William I of Orange (the Silent) at Delft.
|
| 1585 |
Recapture of Antwerp by the Spaniards under Parma.
|
| 1588 |
Defeat of the Armada.
|
| 1590 |
William's second son Maurice of Nassau ('stadhouder' of Holland and Zeeland since 1585)
becomes 'stadhouder' of Utrecht, Overijssel and Gelderland.
|
| 1590-94 |
Maurice captures Breda, Nijmegen, Groningen and other places.
|
| 1602 |
Foundation of the Dutch East Indies Company.
|
| 1609-21 |
Twelve Years Truce with Spain.
|
| 1618-19 |
Synod of Dort.
|
| 1619 |
Trial and execution of the Advocate, Oldenbarnevelt.
|
| 1620 |
Departure of the 'Pilgrim Fathers' from Holland.
|
| 1621 |
Resumption of war with Spain and foundation of the Dutch West India Company.
|
| 1625-26 |
Foundation of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island.
|
| 1625 |
Publication of Grotius's 'De Jure Belli Ac Pacis'.
Recapture of Breda by the Spaniards (cf. the painting by Velaquez).
Death of Maurice, and succession of his brother Frederick Henry as 'stadhouder'.
|
| 1628 |
Capture of the Silver Fleet by Piet Hein off the coast of Cuba.
Capture of 's Hertogenbosch and other military successes of Frederick Henry.
|
| 1632 |
Rembrandt's 'Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp'.
|
| 1637 |
Recapture of Breda.
|
| 1639 |
Naval battle in the Downs, in which Tromp defeats the Spaniards.
|
| 1641 |
Marriage of Frederick Henry's son William to Mary, daughter of Charles I of England.
|
| 1647 |
Death of Frederick Henry and succession of William II as 'stadhouder' of five provinces.
|
| 1648 |
Recognition of Dutch independence in the Treaty of Münster (Vrede van Münster).
|
| 1650 |
William II's attempt to capture Amsterdam, followed by his death and the birth of a son, later William III.
|
| 1650-72 |
First 'stadhouder-less' period (except in Friesland and Groningen).
|
| 1652-54 |
First Anglo-Dutch war, ending in the Treaty of Westminster.
|
| 1653-72 |
Johan de Witt Grand Pensionary of Holland.
|
| 1664 |
New Amsterdam seized by the English and renamed New York.
|
| 1665-67 |
Second Ango-Dutch war, ending in the raid on the Medway by de Ruyter and the Treaty of Breda.
|
| 1667-68 |
Invasion of the Spanish Netherlands by Louis XIV in the 'War of Devolution'.
|
| 1669 |
Death of Rembrandt.
|
| 1670 |
Publication of Spinoza's 'Tractatus theologico-politicus'.
|
| 1672 |
Outbreak of the third Anglo-Dutch war: invasion of the Republic by the French army; William III
raised to power in the time of crisis; lynching of the brothers de Witt.
|
| 1674 |
War with England ends at the Treaty of Westminster.
|
| 1677 |
Marriage of William III to Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York.
|
| 1678 |
War with France ends at the Treaty of Nijmegen.
|
| 1685 |
James II succeeds in England. Persecution of the Huguenots in France (culminating in the Revocation
of the Edict of Nantes) leads to a large-scale emigration to the Dutch Republic.
|
| 1688 |
William sails to intervene in England.
|
| 1689 |
William and Mary become King and Queen of England.
|
| 1689-97 |
'War of the League of Augsburg' (or 'War of the English Succession') ending in the Treaty of Rijswijk.
|
| 1701 |
Formation of the 'Grand Alliance' against Louis XIV.
|
| 1702 |
Death of William III and beginning of the second 'stadhouder-less' period (lasting 1747).
|
| 1702-13 |
War of the Spanish Succession, ending at the Treaty of Utrecht.
|
