Title: History of the Netherlands - Netherlands Tourism
Headings: History of the Netherlands
History of the Netherlands
History of the Netherlands (from 1506 – Present)
The Netherlands Up To This Point
The Reign of Charles V (1506 – 1555)
The Eighty Years War and the Dutch Republic (1566 – 1648)
The Start of the Dutch Revolt
War Breaks Out in the Netherlands
Rebels Rally Around Prince William of Orange
Maurice, the New Hope
Conflict During the Truce
The End of the Twelve Year Truce and the Eighty Years War
The Dutch Republic’s Golden Age (1600 – 1690)
Explosive Growth in Amsterdam
The First Jews Arrive in Amsterdam
The Anglo-Dutch Wars
The Intellectual Boom
William of Orange, Stadholder and King
The Patriots Come to Power (1781 – 1795)
The Batavian Republic and French Takeover (1795 – 1813)
The Batavian Republic
The French Take Over
Netherlands: The Kingdom (1810 – 1848)
Napoleon Returns and the Battle of Waterloo
The Belgian Revolution
The Times are Changing (Constitutional Monarchy)
The Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1918)
Abolition of Slavery
Labor Laws and Unions
Rails and Steam
World War II (1940 – 1945)
Germany Invades the Netherlands
The Holocaust
The Dutch Resistance
Progress After the War (1945 – Present)
The 40s and 50s
The 60s and 70s
The 80s and 90s
The 2000s to Present

Content: The Netherlands Up To This Point
Our story begins in the 16th century, but the Netherlands origins travel much farther back than that. The earliest known human life to inhabit the area now known as the Netherlands did so some 40,000 years ago. At the time, the people were hunter-gatherers and roamed across the country for wild game. The first settlements didn’t begin to appear until around 4800 B.C.
Several centuries later, during the Iron Age (800 B.C. – 58 B.C.), the area began to prosper thanks to the availability of iron ore in the area. This prosperity garnered the interest of the early Romans, and they took over the area starting in 57 B.C.
The Romans ruled over the Netherlands for 450 years, influencing the citizens of the Netherlands in a grand way. Towns were built, new settlements founded, and new military structures constructed. The influence of the Romans would affect the citizens for generations to come. The Early Middle Ages (411 – 1000) would see many achievements in the Dutch culture. It was during this time that the Frisian Kingdom was established, the Dutch language emerged, the first Christians settled into the area, and the Vikings raided the Low Countries. The High Middle Ages (1000 – 1432) saw the Netherlands become part of the Holy Roman Empire, and accompanied with the continual war between feuding states.