Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Book: An American Famly History: Register Report of Count William Of Nassau

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Descendants of Count William Of Nassau

Generation No. 1

1. COUNT WILLIAM OF¹ NASSAU He married COUNTESS OF STALBERG.

Notes for COUNT WILLIAM OF NASSAU:
Phillip II was one of the strongest rulers in Europe. He ruled the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, part of Italy and the Spanish New World colonies. A great number of his subjects in the Netherlands were Protestants, but whether Catholics or Protestants, they did not think he should persecute and put to death those who wished to worship in their own way. They also thought they should have the right to do a part of the governing themselves. They were also angred because of high taxes. Because the leading men of the Netherlands protested, Phillip thought they were disloyal. He decided to make these obstinate subjects obey. He sent a army of Spanish soldiers, the best troops in Europe, to the Netherlands under the command of the Duke of Alva---a stern, harsh man. Spanish soldiers were put into towns as garrisons. The Duke set up a court, called the "Council Of Blood", to try disobedient subjects of the King. Hundreds were arbitrarily put to death, but this military government only made the people of the Netherlands dislike Phillip more than ever. Some of them, who were nicknamed "beggars", organized themselves to resist his rule.

The leader of this rebellion was William Of Orange, a great statesman, who raised armies and fought the Spanish troops. Although usually beaten, he persisted. The people of two provinces of the Netherlands, Holland, Zealand, many of whom were fisherman, took to the sea as privateers, and did much damage to the ocean commerce of the Spanish. Indignation caused by the Spanish plundering of cities and towns finally united all seventeen provinces of the Netherlands, and by a compact made in 1576, known as the Pacification of Ghent, they agreed to fight together for freedom, religious tolerence, and for their former political rights. However, an able governor, the Duke of Parma, persuaded the ten southern provinves, mostly Catholic, to remain loyal to Phillip. But the people of the seven northern provinces, mostly Protestant, and comprising what is now Holland, united in a confederation called the "Union Of Utrecht" in 1579. They chose William of Orange as their stadholder president, and issued a Declaration of Independence which included many things which were incorporated 200 years later into the American Declaration of Independence.

They tried to get some assistence from other Protestant countries, with little success, but relief came in an unexpected way. English sea captains had long been annoying Phillip by making raids on his colonies and treasure ships. Queen Elizabeth winked at these violations of neutrality, and she even sent troops from England and Scotland to help the Dutch intheir struggle against the Spanish. Many of these were stationed in Dutch towns as garrisons. The town of Naarden, the birthplace and home of the founder of the Quick family in America, being one of them so protected. (See Quick relations)

These events angerd Phillip and he decided to make war on England. In 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail for England, intending to go first to the Netherlands to pick up additional troops for the invasion of England. But the English sea captains discovered their plans. The English ships were smaller, less clumsey, and had better cannon than the Spanish. They attacked the ships on the edge of the Armada, and sank many of them. By the time the Spanards reached the North Sea, they were so demoralized by the English victory, that they did not go to Holland at all, but sailed northward around England and back to Spain. Only fifty of the original 130 ships made their home ports. The others that were not suck by the English, were destroyed in a violent storm.

The defeat so encouraged the Dutch at under Maurice, son of William of Orange, they won many victories on land against the Spanish. Phillip II died in 1598, and Spain gave up the struggle with the Dutch. Although Holland did not receive recognition of its independence from Spain until 1648, the Dutch were actually a free people before the 16th century ended.

Children of COUNT NASSAU and COUNTESS STALBERG are:

2.	i.	WILLIAM² WALLACE, b. April 1533.
	ii.	ADOLPH WALLACE.
	iii.	LOUIS WALLACE.
	iv.	JOHN WALLACE.
	v.	HENRY WALLACE.

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