▁colon ies , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁Asia - P ac ific ▁region . ▁After ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁William ▁of ▁Orange ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁July ▁ 1 5 8 4 , ▁both ▁Henry ▁III ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁of ▁England ▁decl ined ▁offers ▁of ▁so vere ig nt y . ▁However , ▁the ▁latter ▁agreed ▁to ▁turn ▁the ▁United ▁Provin ces ▁into ▁a ▁prote ctor ate ▁of ▁England ▁( T re aty ▁of ▁N ons uch , ▁ 1 5 8 5 ), ▁and ▁sent ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁Le ic ester ▁as ▁governor - general . ▁This ▁was ▁un success ful ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 8 ▁the ▁provinces ▁became ▁a ▁conf eder acy . ▁The ▁Union ▁of ▁U tre cht ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Seven ▁United ▁Provin ces , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire ▁until ▁the ▁Peace ▁of ▁West phal ia ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 8 . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Ang lo - F rench ▁War ▁( 1 7 7 8 ), ▁the ▁internal ▁territory ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁groups : ▁the ▁Patri ots , ▁who ▁were ▁pro - F rench ▁and ▁pro - American , ▁and ▁the ▁Or ang ists , ▁who ▁were ▁pro - B rit ish . ▁The ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Provin ces ▁faced ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁republic an ▁revolution s ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 – 1 7 8 7 . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁republic an ▁forces ▁occupied ▁several ▁major ▁Dutch ▁cities