▁freely ▁appointed ▁by ▁and ▁sub ordinate ▁to ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁each ▁province . ▁However , ▁in ▁practice ▁the ▁princes ▁of ▁Orange ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Orange - N ass au , ▁beginning ▁with ▁William ▁the ▁Sil ent , ▁were ▁always ▁chosen ▁as ▁stad th old ers ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁provinces . ▁Ze eland ▁and ▁usually ▁U tre cht ▁had ▁the ▁same ▁stad th older ▁as ▁Holland . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁constant ▁power ▁struggle ▁between ▁the ▁Or ang ists , ▁who ▁supported ▁the ▁stad th old ers ▁and ▁specifically ▁the ▁princes ▁of ▁Orange , ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ans , ▁who ▁supported ▁the ▁States ▁General ▁and ▁hoped ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁semi - her edit ary ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁stad th old ership ▁with ▁a ▁true ▁republic an ▁structure . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Peace ▁of ▁West phal ia , ▁several ▁border ▁territ ories ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Provin ces . ▁They ▁were ▁feder ally ▁govern ed ▁Gener ality ▁Land s . ▁These ▁were ▁Staats - B rab ant , ▁Staats - V la ander en , ▁Staats - Over ma as , ▁and ▁( after ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁U tre cht ) ▁Staats - O pper - G el re . ▁The ▁States ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Provin ces ▁were ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁West ▁India ▁Company , ▁but ▁some ▁sh ipping ▁exped itions ▁were ▁initi ated ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁provinces , ▁mostly ▁Holland ▁and ▁Ze eland . ▁ ▁The ▁fram ers ▁of ▁the ▁U