This is a major English-language edition of five central texts in the history of the political thought of the Dutch Revolt. Published between 1570 and 1590 these texts exemplify the development of the political ideas which motivated and legitimated resistance to the government of Philip II and which became the crucial part of the ideological foundations of the Dutch Republic. The five texts address notions of liberty, constitutionalism, representation and popular sovereignty which were of central importance to the political thought and the revolutionary events of the Dutch Revolt. In the introduction, locating the texts in their political and intellectual context, Martin van Gelderen argues that the Revolt was as much inspired by the indigenous legacy of Dutch constitutionalism and civic consciousness as by the intellectual legacy of the late Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation. Biographical notes, a chronology of the Revolt's main events and a guide to further reading are also provided as student aids.

"The translation is excellent and because the reader is not distracted by archaic and awkward language, the documents' content and meaning emerge clearly....Van Gelderen's introduction represents a concise, admirable example of the virtues of the social history of political thought....This book is valuable not just for those interested in Dutch political theory, but also for those who argue and teach that knowing the historical context is essential for understanding political theory and how it evolves." Joyce M. Mastboom, Sixteenth Century Journal