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The rebellion by the
Dutch against Prince Philip
is notable because in 1581
leaders of the revolution
wrote their own declaration
of independence. The Dutch
declaration is believed to be
the first time in history that an oppressed people set
down in writing their rights and grievances as well as
their intentions to break away from a tyrant. The Dutch
declaration bears some similarity to the document writ-
ten by Jefferson.
For example, Jefferson said, “A Prince, whose charac-
ter is thus marked by every act which may define a
Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
He was, of course, talking about King George, but the
Dutch had similar words about Prince Philip. Their
declaration said:
A prince is constituted by God to be ruler of a people, to
defend them from oppression and violence as the shepherd
his sheep. . . . And when he does not behave thus, but, on
the contrary, oppresses them, seeking opportunities to
infringe their ancient customs and privileges, exacting from
them slavish compliance, then he is no longer a prince, but
a tyrant, and the subjects are to consider him in no other
view.
The major difference between the American and
Dutch declarations, though, is that the American decla-
30
The Declaration of Independence: Forming a New Nation
Make Connections
Thomas Jefferson and
John Adams both died on
July 4, 1826—the 50th anniver-
sary of the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence.