1. Dutch Golden Age
Spain ruled the Netherlands from 1516, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, inherited territories form Burgundy, became king of Spain.
After long war which started in 1566 against Spanish Rule, the Dutch Republic officially became independent in 1648.
United Provinces, a confederation of republics, had been federalist in structure since the Union of Utrecht in 1579 when the provinces and cities of the Dutch Netherlands came together to form a defensive alliance against the Spanish army.
Like English counterparts, most people in the Netherlands did not want absolute rule, which they identified with the acts of the Spanish.

2. The United Provinces of the Netherlands (Dutch Republic)
1st half of the 17th century was the “golden age” of the Netherlands
Government consisted of an organized confederation of seven provinces, each with representative government

3. The United Provinces of the Netherlands (Dutch Republic)
Each province sent a representative to the States General- federal legislative body
Each province was autonomous (self-governing)
The princes of the House of Orange usually served as Stadholder of the provinces
Stadholder- responsible for leading the army and maintaining order
Beginning with William of Orange and his heirs, the house of Orange occupied the stadholderate in most of the 7 provinces and favored the development of a centralized government with themselves as hereditary monarchs
Each province sent a representative to the States General
The States General opposed the Orangist ambitions and advocated for a decentralized or republican form of government
In 1672, burdened with war with England and France, the Dutch turned to William III to establish a monarchial regime, but with his death in 1702 and no direct heir, the republican forces gained control again
Holland and Zeeland were the two richest and most influential
Since the Reformation, there was also religious pluralism
Dutch republic really more of an oligarchy- rich families monopolized power

4. Religious Toleration
The Dutch Republic was characterized by religious toleration
Calvinism was the dominant religion- Dutch Reformed
Catholics and Jews also enjoyed religious toleration
Religious toleration enabled the Netherlands to foster a cosmopolitan society that promoted trade
The Dutch Reformed Church- strict Calvinists- did persecute and discriminate against some religious groups
Toleration though seemed to make economic sense to the Dutch

5. The Economy
The Netherlands became the greatest mercantile nation in the 17th century
Amsterdam became the banking and commercial center of Europe
The Amsterdam Bourse – merchants filled places at the stock exchange where they met to arrange various financial matters
Wars with France and England placed heavy burdens on Dutch finances and manpower. English shipping began to challenge what had been the Dutch commercial supremacy, and by 1715, the Dutch were experiencing a serious economic decline

6. The Economy
Commercial livestock raising and capital-intensive farming became lucrative
Canals made Amsterdam more accessible
Dutch shipbuilding boomed – accounted for about half of Europe’s shipping
Dominated trade in the Baltic and fishing in the North Sea
Other major industries: textiles, furniture, fine woolen goods, sugar, tobacco cutting, pottery, glass, printing, paper making, and weapons manufacturing
Dutch East India Company established in 1602 –trade in East Asia
Proved to be stiff competition for the British East India Company
Did not have government interference with free enterprise
Dutch E. India Company traded overseas with India, Ceylon, Indonesia, and Japan
What made this success possible- Amsterdam merchants possessed vast fleets of ships, many of which were used for the lucrative North Sea herring catch
Also ships important carriers for products of other countries
Dam Square important crossroads
By 1700 Amsterdam was the principal supplier of military goods in Europe
Also very important as a financial center
1609- Exchange Bank of Amsterdam
Amsterdam Stock Exchange for speculating commodities

7. Life was good in the mid 17th century
Dutch reached a level of prosperity unmatched in Europe at the time
Wages rose
Amsterdam’s markets flourished
Although there was a lot of prosperity far down the social ladder- the Republic still had its poor- lived in narrow streets around the Stock Exchange- in the flatlands, and in fisherman huts along the North Sea
Dutch desire to confine vagrants and beggars- beatings, floggings, branding, and even death remained common punishments and gallows stood at the main gates of large cities
Amsterdam was the financial and commercial capital of Europe
In had 30,000 inhabitants, by 1610, doubled as refugees poured in
In order to meet demands for growth- “urban expansion plan”
Created canals, tall, narrow-fronted houses that were characteristic of the city
The canals made it possible for the merchants and artisans to use the upper stories of their houses as storerooms for their goods
City grew to 200,000 by 1660
The Calvinist background of the wealthy in Amsterdam led them to adopt a simple lifestyle.
They wore dark clothes and lived in substantial but simply furnished houses known for their steep, narrow stairways
Their houses were spotless and orderly foreigners often commented that Dutch housewives were always scrubbing
BUT in second half of the 17th c the wealthy began to reject their Calvinist heritage and transform  more elaborate and colorful clothers

8. ….but vulnerable Armies of the ambitious French to the south
The Republic had almost no natural resources and subject to weather disasters- flooding
Dikes would sometimes break
This idea that a disaster was looming was seen in the popular novels and histories of disasters in the Republic
Might explain the sense of solidarity and patriotic

9. Tulipmania Tulips introduced to the Dutch from Turkey
Began to be hot item- price gradually got higher and higher
Bubble eventually burst

10. Decline of the Dutch Republic
Could not keep up with competition from rivals
Wars against England in defense of Dutch commercial interests drained resources
French tariffs on Dutch goods
In 1672, Louis XIV invaded the Dutch Republic – William of Orange flooded them out
After Glorious Revolution, allied with England and Sweden – fearing France might invade again
Textile and shipbuilding failed to keep pace with rivals, above all England
Government became more rigid and distant from the people, less tolerant
Relative decline of Dutch power not too surprising given the greater economic resources and populations of France and England. England emerged in the second half of the 17th century as the world’s dominant commercial power

11. Compare and contrast the economic factors responsible for the decline of Spain with the economic factors responsible for the decline of the Dutch Republic by the end of the 17th century.