The Plakkaat van Verlatinghe, or the Act of Abjuration, was a significant document declaring the separation of the northern provinces of the Low Countries from the Habsburg monarchy. It was particularly motivated by widespread grievances against King Philip II of Spain, which included heavy taxation, suppression of Protestantism, and the general lack of political autonomy. Leaders from seven northern provinces convened in The Hague to formalize their revolt against Spanish authority, which they argued was no longer legitimate due to Philip II's tyrannical rule. The document stated that the people were no longer bound to obey a ruler who violated their rights, thus laying the foundation for the political philosophy of popular sovereignty.The Plakkaat was seminal for the regions of Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht, among others, as it marked a collective affirmation of independence from foreign domination. The act articulated a vision for governance and sparked a broader struggle that would develop into the Eighty Years' War, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Dutch Republic in 1588. Moreover, it was an early assertion of the principle of self-determination, influencing subsequent political revolutions in history, including those in France and America, as ideals of independence burgeoned across Europe and beyond.