William the Silent

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/william-the-silent

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was William the Silent born?April 16, 1533
2. When did William the Silent die?July 10, 1584 (age 51)
3. Where was William the Silent born?Dillenburg, Duchy of Nassau (now Germany)
4. Who was William the Silent?He was a prince from the House of Nassau who led the Dutch Revolt against Spain.
5. Why is he called "the Silent"?He kept quiet during a meeting with King Henry II in 1559 to protect himself and gather information.

Absolutism: A political system where a ruler holds total power, not limited by laws or a constitution.
Habsburg Dynasty: A powerful European royal family that ruled over vast territories, including Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and parts of the Netherlands, for centuries.
Eighty Years' War: The prolonged and complex conflict fought between the Dutch provinces and their Spanish rulers from 1568 to 1648, leading to Dutch independence.