Shhhhh, It's William the Silent!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Who was William the Silent?

William's full name was William I, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau.

He was born in 1533 in his family's castle near Wiesbaden, Germany. His parents were Count William of Nassau-Dillenburg and Juliana von Stolber.

William became the Prince of Orange in 1544 after inheriting the vast estate of his first cousin, who insisted that William receive a Catholic education as a condition of his inheritance.

Catholicism was the predominant religion of the time.

What was he most famous for?

William the Silent is best known for leading the Dutch in a resistance against Phillip II of Spain.

During this time, Spain was a mighty empire whose territories extended to all the continents. King Phillip II did not support religious freedom because he considered it a threat to his rule.

Consequently, he persecuted anyone who did not follow Spain's official religion, Catholicism.

As a wealthy nobleman, William disagreed with how Phillip II of Spain ruled. He particularly disagreed with Spain's persecution of the Dutch Protestants, who were a minority religious group.

William took action and led the Dutch in a rebellion against Spain. This rebellion eventually led to an essential event in Dutch history: the Eight Years' War or The Dutch War of Independence.

As the name suggests, this war was instrumental in the Netherlands gaining independence from Spanish rule.

In 1580, after leading several uprisings against the Spanish, King Phillip declared William the Silent an outlaw and ordered a bounty for his capture. In 1584, William was shot and killed by an assassin in his home.

But why was he called William the Silent?

Although no one knows with certainty how William got the name "William the Silent," there is some speculation that he was known to keep his opinions to himself.

• What do you think?
• Can you speculate or guess how he got his name?

Some things to think about!

Next, take a look at the image below. It is an oil painting from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, portraying King Phillip II and William the Silent.

• Which of these men do you think is William the Silent?
• What do you think is taking place in the picture?
• Do you think it was right for King Phillip II to order the killing of William the Silent?
• Do you think William needed to lead a revolt against Spain?

Let's review!

Before going to the Got It? section, review what you have learned by completing the interactive activity below. When you are done, check your responses and review any items you may have answered incorrectly.

William the Silent strongly believed that the Dutch Protestants were not treated fairly and that Spain was too powerful. As a result, he was willing to put himself in danger to fight for his beliefs and his country.

Today, the Netherlands is an independent nation partly due to its actions.

• What do you think about the concept of independence?
• Why do you think it is worth fighting for?

Move on to the Go! section for a few exciting activities that will challenge your understanding of what you have learned.