Act of Abjuration

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The Act of Abjuration (Dutch: Plakkaat van Verlatinghe; Spanish: Acta de Abjuración, lit. 'placard of abjuration') is the declaration of independence by many of the provinces of the Netherlands from their allegiance to Philip II of Spain, during the Dutch Revolt. Signed on 26 July 1581, in The Hague, the Act formally confirmed a decision made by the States General of the Netherlands in Antwerp four days earlier. It declared that all magistrates in the provinces making up the Union of Utrecht were freed from their oaths of allegiance to their lord, Philip, who was also King of Spain. The grounds given were that Philip had failed in his obligations to his subjects, by oppressing them and violating their ancient rights. Philip was therefore considered to have forfeited his thrones as ruler of each of the provinces which signed the Act. The Act of Abjuration allowed the newly independent territories to govern themselves, although they first offered their thrones to alternative candidates. When...

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