"UNIVERSITY OF LEYDEN (sic): From an engraving made in 1614. This university was founded by William the Silent in 1575, as a reward for the heroic defense of the city in the previous year. According to tradition the citizens were offered their choice between a university and exemptiom from certain taxes. They chose the university. From 1625, for almost 200 years, this was one of the famous universities of Europe. It was to the city of Leyden (sic) that a band of separatists went in 1607-1608, from England, to escape persecution for their independence in religion. Some of them, known to history as the Pilgrim Fathers, came from Leyden to America, after a short stay in England, and were the founders of the Plymouth Colony."
Click here to enlarge this image.
Teaching about the University of Leiden is greatly enriching because it helps K-12 students see how a single European university shaped the foundations of American colonial life and democracy. Before the Pilgrims ever set foot on the Mayflower, they spent over a decade living in Leiden, Holland, after fleeing religious persecution in England.
The University of Leiden played a direct role in their story. It allowed the Pilgrim congregation to use one of its chapels for worship and enrolled key leaders like John Robinson, their minister, who studied and engaged with the university's famous theological debates. Enrolling also offered legal protection from English authorities, which was crucial for the Pilgrims' printing press.
The influence traveled with them to America. Historians believe the Pilgrims introduced civil marriage to America based on Dutch law they observed in Leiden, and even the tradition of Thanksgiving may trace back to a Leiden harvest festival. Most remarkably, genealogical research shows that nine U.S. presidents, including John Adams, both George Bushes, and Barack Obama, are descendants of these Leiden Pilgrims. Additionally, John Quincy Adams himself studied law at Leiden as a boy.
|
