United Provinces.
1581 -
1795. The general name for the
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands or
Provinces, called
Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden or
Provinciën in
Dutch, the precursor to the present day
Netherlands. This full name was not always used and several shorter variations were generally known, such as the United Provinces. This state came into being when the northern Netherlands formally deposed their lord
Philip II of Spain and decided to govern themselves, and lasted until
French revolutionary forces invaded in 1795 and set up a new
republic, called the
Batavian Republic and later the
Kingdom of Holland.
The Netherlands became independent of France in 1813. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 the names "United Provinces of the Netherlands" and "United Netherlands" are used. In 1816 it joined with Belgium to be the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and then the Kingdom of the Netherlands after Belgium became independent.
See also: Francis van Aarssens