Event

Act of Abjuration

1581 · 16th century

The Act of Abjuration was the declaration of 1581 by which the northern provinces of the Low Countries formally renounced the sovereignty of Philip II of Spain. It was effectively a declaration of independence during the Dutch Revolt. It underpinned the emergence of the Dutch Republic, the base from which the Dutch Empire was built.

Act of Abjuration
Image: Staten-Generaal · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Dutch EmpireFoundationDuchy of BrabantImpactDutch RepublicFoundation, Summary

Mentioned in 6 state histories

County of HollandCounty of ZeelandLordship of FrisiaLordship of OverijsselLordship of UtrechtDutch Republic

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Act of Abjuration. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/act-of-abjuration
MLA
“Act of Abjuration.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/act-of-abjuration. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Act of Abjuration.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/act-of-abjuration.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Act of Abjuration’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/act-of-abjuration (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻