United Provinces

A detailed Summary of United Provinces

During most of the history of the United Provinces, allegiance and identity were based on provincial, civic, and sometimes also local rural sentiment rather than attachment to the Republic as a whole. In this respect, the loose federal structure, which evolved, was well suited to the disposition, and attitudes, of its population. In particular, politics frequently revolved around tension between the dominant province of Holland, and the rest of the provinces, which continually strove to protect their local interests and avoid being dominated.

The United Provinces, also Known as the Dutch Republic, was composed of seven provinces---Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Friesland, Groningen, Overijsel and Gelderland-each with a separate government centered on the states of the province. Each province looked upon itself as sovereign and the Republic can be better regarded as an alliance of independent states than as a single political un The United Provinces, also Known as the Dutch Republic, was composed of seven provinces---Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Friesland, Groningen, Overijsel and Gelderland-each with a separate government centered on the states of th

and-not even the power of Spain. Thus, Holland forged the United Provinces on a basis of allegedly sovereign provincial rights which only Holland could fully utilize, preserving her own historic cohesion, and identity, while employing the lesser provinces resources and territory to enhance her defences, strategic weight, and economic hinterland. Leicester's departure made Holland the most important decision- making body in the United Provinces.

This survival of medieval particularism form of provincial separatism was fundamental to the political system of the Republic. This system has found many adverse critics, but it should be pointed out that it worked in practice, and well by the standards of the time. On the other hand it did bring to the surface conflicts between the prosperous commercial and industrial province of Holland and the others.

y, and questions of war and peace, taken by majority vote, but States General decisions came to apply, in practice, to a wider sphere of government than provided for under the terms of the Union. Particularly after 1590, the federal principle was extended to area such as regulation of shipping, administration of conquered districts, church affairs, and promotion of colonial expansion, in ways the original Union had not foreseen. Yet, despite this, it cannot be said that the United Provinces fully constituted a federal republic. In theory, and matters of form and ceremonial, the seven noting provinces retained the trappings of sovereignty. The best way to describe the political entity created by the Revolt is as a cross between federal state and confederacy, with more of the confederacy in form and theory, and more of the federal state in substance and practice.

The Union of Utrecht had envisaged a league of several (not necessarily seven) sovereign 'provinces' which agreed to give up their sovereign rights in a few limited areas, chiefly defence, taxation for defence, and foreign policy. It was intended that this league should function not as a federal st

Some common words found in the essay are:
United Provinces, Overijsel Gelderland-each, Low Countries, Holland Holland, Union Utrecht, William III, Union Particularly, Twelve Truce, Orange William, Dutch Republic, united provinces, dutch republic, seventeenth century, leicester's departure, centered province province, separate government, overijsel gelderland-each, friesland groningen, groningen overijsel, utrecht friesland, gelderland-each separate, government centered province, province looked sovereign, province province looked, separate government centered,

Approximate Word count = 1363
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous