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Early History

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The area that would become Amsterdam has little documentation prior to Roman times, but it is known that Celts and Germanic tribes inhabited the region when Julius Caesar arrived in 58 B.C. The “Low Countries” (the Netherlands and Belgium) came under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor during Medieval times, and by the 16th century, control shifted to the Habsburgs (one of the major European ruling houses). There was a brief period from 850 to 920 A.D. when Vikings controlled the area.

In the 13th century, Amsterdam was formed as a fishing village on the Amstel River. The oldest records, dating back to 1275, refer to the settlement of Aemstelledamme, which we now know as Amsterdam. The city developed rapidly during the 14th and 15th centuries, becoming an important trade city.

In the 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain in reaction to Spanish religious intolerance. Martin Luther’s religious reformation had taken off in the Netherlands, a development the devoutly Catholic Philip was displeased with. The Dutch revolted, leading to the Eighty Years’ War. William of Orange led the uprising, and every Dutch monarch since that time has descended from his line. The rebelling forces called themselves the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, also known as the United Provinces. Of the seven provinces, Holland was the most important, and as a result, many foreign countries began to refer to the Netherlands as Holland instead, a confusion that exists even now.

The impetus for the rebellion, religious intolerance, caused Amsterdam to develop into an open-minded, tolerant city. In an age of religious wars, Amsterdam provided refuge for Spanish and Portuguese Jews and French Huguenots. This receptive and broadminded atmosphere helped shape the free-spirited Amsterdam of today.

Next Page: Golden Age of Amsterdam

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