AP European History AMSCO Guided Notes
3.5: The Dutch Golden Age
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP European History Guided Notes
AMSCO 3.5 - The Dutch Golden Age
Essential Questions
- What factors contributed to the development of the Dutch Republic?
I. The Dutch Republic
1. What was the Act of Abjuration and what did it formally establish?
2. What religious and political grievances led the Dutch to seek independence from Spain?
3. How did the Dutch Republic emerge from the Eighty Years' War and what territory did it control?
4. What made the Dutch Republic a world power in the 17th century?
II. Dutch Oligarchy
1. How was the Dutch Republic governed without a monarch, and what role did the Estates-General play?
2. What was an oligarchy and who made up the Dutch oligarchic class?
3. How did merchants and financiers influence Dutch government policy?
III. Dutch East India Company
1. What was the VOC and how was it structured as a joint-stock company?
2. How did the profits of the VOC affect Dutch society and the stability of the republic?
3. What caused the decline of the Dutch Republic in the 18th century?
IV. Dutch Civilization in the Golden Age
A. Dutch Society
1. How did the class structure of the Dutch Republic differ from other European nations?
2. What was the composition of the Dutch upper class and what was the status of the working class?
B. Religion
1. What was the official religion of the Dutch Republic and what other religious groups were present?
2. How did the Dutch Republic treat religious minorities, particularly Jews and Catholics?
C. The Arts
1. What major artists and composers flourished during the Dutch Golden Age and what did they produce?
2. Why was Dutch literature less influential than English and French literature despite its quality?
D. Philosophy and Science
1. What major philosophers and scientists worked in the Dutch Republic and what were their contributions?
2. Why did the Dutch Republic attract intellectuals like Descartes and what freedom did it provide?
Key Terms
Eighty Years' War
Union of Utrecht
oligarchy
urban gentry
Dutch East India Company
joint-stock company