The Evolution of Constitutional Governments in the Netherlands and England
Constitutional Monarchies is England and the Netherlands
During the During the Age of Enlightenment, from the 16th to early 19th century, Europe was in the midst of one of the largest changes of thinking in history. During this era new ideas of government and human rights swept through the continent. Philosophies and theories from John Locke, Voltaire, Thomas Hobbes, and countless others set the world stage for rule from the people. While many rulers during this age became absolute monarchies, such as France and Russia, others became constitutional monarchies and parliamentary democracies. The first and most famous examples of these constitutional monarchies were England and the Netherlands.
The Netherlands officially became a constitutional monarchy in 1806, when the Napoleonic King of Holland established the Constitutie voor het Koninkrijk Holland, a constitution for the kingdom (“Political Systems of the Netherlands”), but the process of becoming such a government was not an over-night one, and had been happening for over a hundred years. During the 1500s the Netherlands were still a part of the Spanish kingdom, and in 1559 King Philip II of Spain placed William of Orange as Stadtholder, a kind of local ruler. William later became the leader of the Dutch Revolution and subsequently, in 1581, the leader of the Independent Dutch Republic ("William of Orange 1533-1584”).
Throughout the next two centuries the constitution was amended and re-issued multiple times, and only in 1806 did the country become a constitutional monarchy, as stated above. However, there was not a parliament in the Netherlands until 1848. Here the constitution was again revised because of pressure from the revolutions of 1848 in surrounding countries. King William II accepted the “introduction of full mistral reasonability in the constitution” (Political System of the Netherlands), which lead to the system of parliamentary democracy being instituted in the Dutch government. This, along
During the During the Age of Enlightenment, from the 16th to early 19th century, Europe was in the midst of one of the largest changes of thinking in history. During this era new ideas of government and human rights swept through the continent. Philosophies and theories from John Locke, Voltaire, Thomas Hobbes, and countless others set the world stage for rule from the people. While many rulers during this age became absolute monarchies, such as France and Russia, others became constitutional monarchies and parliamentary democracies. The first and most famous examples of these constitutional monarchies were England and the Netherlands.
The Netherlands officially became a constitutional monarchy in 1806, when the Napoleonic King of Holland established the Constitutie voor het Koninkrijk Holland, a constitution for the kingdom (“Political Systems of the Netherlands”), but the process of becoming such a government was not an over-night one, and had been happening for over a hundred years. During the 1500s the Netherlands were still a part of the Spanish kingdom, and in 1559 King Philip II of Spain placed William of Orange as Stadtholder, a kind of local ruler. William later became the leader of the Dutch Revolution and subsequently, in 1581, the leader of the Independent Dutch Republic ("William of Orange 1533-1584”).
Throughout the next two centuries the constitution was amended and re-issued multiple times, and only in 1806 did the country become a constitutional monarchy, as stated above. However, there was not a parliament in the Netherlands until 1848. Here the constitution was again revised because of pressure from the revolutions of 1848 in surrounding countries. King William II accepted the “introduction of full mistral reasonability in the constitution” (Political System of the Netherlands), which lead to the system of parliamentary democracy being instituted in the Dutch government. This, along
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