De Patriotten te Amsterdam in 1794 - Jorissen, Theodoor 1833-1889 (Amsterdam Funke, 1874)
After the Dutch provinces rebelled in 1568 against their sovereign, the Spanish king Philip II (the Eighty Years' War 1568-1648), they proclaimed the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands in 1581. Under the supreme rule of a stadholder, the republic acquired great political and economic power in the 17th century (the Golden Age). The French invasion in 1794 brought an end to this loose confederation of states.In 1794, the French under general Pichegru came to occupy the Republic, aided by Daendels' Batavian Legion, which consisted of exiled patriots. The Batavian republic was instituted, with an extensive reform programme and many meetings. The significance of the Patriot movement should not be underestimated. From the Orangist side, the Patriots were depicted as exercising shopkeepers or country traitors, because of their collusion with France. Many of the ideas from the French Revolution, such as the unitary state, separation of church and state, equal rights and criticism of slavery were realised during the Batavian Republic.
Ex libris N. J. Mouthaan (plate)
Keywords: 19th Century (1801-1900); 18th Century (1701-1800); History; Amsterdam (Netherlands)