7 northern provinces of Netherlands sign Union of Utrecht declaring independence

Category
Government
Place
Netherlands
Date
1579
Reference
Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"The Union of Utrecht, signed on January 23, 1579, was limited to the seven northern provinces of the Netherlands and declared their independence from Spanish rule. . . . However, without effective aid from England or France, the rebels hardly posed a military challenge to Spain. The Union of Utrecht was really a holding operation designed to present a united front to the outside world and foster support. As the tension escalated, the revolt's leader, William the Silent, issued the Oath of Abjuration. The oath was effectively a 'Declaration of Independence' since the Union of Utrecht had stopped short of renouncing the king of Spain." [Furtado: 1001 Days]

This event is linked to the following periods

PeriodMiner
Begin
End
Category
Dutch Republic
1581
1795
Dutch
Eighty Years' War
1568
1648
Wars
Habsburg Kings
1516
1700
Spanish