From 1581 until 1795 it was part of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces , but Drenthe itself was not a province . In 1796 , under the Batavian Republic , Drenthe was a province for the first time . When the Republic of the Seven United Provinces was declared in 1581 , Drenthe became part of it , although it did not gain provincial status until January 1 , 1796 due to its poverty .