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JACOB VAN ARTEVELDE (c. 1290-1345)

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 669 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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JACOB See also:VAN See also:ARTEVELDE (c. 1290-1345)  , Flemish statesman, was See also:born at See also:Ghent about 1290 . He sprang from one of the wealthy commercial families of this See also:great See also:industrial See also:city, his See also:father's name being probably See also:William See also:van See also:Artevelde . His See also:brother See also:John, a See also:rich See also:cloth See also:merchant, took a leading See also:part in public affairs during the first decades of the ,4th See also:century . See also:Jacob, who according to tradition was a See also:brewer by See also:trade, spent three years in amassing quietly a large See also:fortune . He was twice married, the second See also:time to See also:Catherine de Coster, whose See also:family was of considerable See also:influence in Ghent . Not till 1337, when the out-break of hostilities between See also:France and See also:England threatened to injure seriously the industrial welfare of his native See also:town, did Jacob van Artevelde make his first See also:appearance as a See also:political See also:leader . As the Flemish cities depended upon England for the See also:supply of the See also:wool for their See also:staple See also:industry of See also:weaving, he boldly came forward, as a See also:tribune of the See also:people, and at a great See also:meeting at the monastery of Biloke unfolded his See also:scheme of an See also:alliance of the Flemish towns_ with those of See also:Brabant, See also:Holland and See also:Hainaut, to maintain an armed See also:neutrality in the dynastic struggle between See also:Edward III. and See also:Philip VI. of France . His efforts were successful . See also:Bruges, See also:Ypres and other towns formed a See also:league with Ghent, in which town Artevelde, with the See also:title of See also:captain-See also:general, henceforth until his See also:death exercised almost dictatorial authority . His first step was to conclude a commercial treaty with England . The efforts of the See also:count of See also:Flanders to overthrow the See also:power of Artevelde by force of arms completely failed, and he was compelled at Bruges to sign a treaty (See also:June 21, 1338) sanctioning the federation of the three towns, Ghent, Bruges and Ypres, henceforth known as the Three members of Flanders." This was the first of a See also:series of See also:treaties, made during the See also:year 1339-1340, which gradually brought into the federation all the towns and provinces of the See also:Netherlands . The policy of neutrality, however, proved impracticable, and the Flemish towns, under the leadership of Artevelde, openly took the See also:side of the See also:English See also:king, with whom a See also:close alliance was concluded .

Artevelde now reached the height of his power, concluding alliances with See also:

kings, and publicly associating with them on equal terms . Under his able See also:administration trade flourished, and Ghent See also:rose rapidly in See also:wealth and importance . His well-nigh despotic See also:rule awoke at last among his compatriots See also:jealousy and resentment . The proposal of Artevelde to disown the See also:sovereignty of See also:Louis, count of Flanders, and to recognize in its See also:place that of Edward, See also:prince of See also:Wales (the See also:Black Prince), gave rise to violent dissatisfaction . A popular insurrection See also:broke out in Ghent, and Artevelde See also:fell into the hands of the See also:crowd and was murdered on the 24th of See also:July 1345 . The great services that he rendered to Ghent and to his See also:country have in later times been recognized . A statue was erected in his native town on the See also:Marche du Vendredi, and was unveiled by See also:Leopold I., king of the Belgians, on the 13th of See also:September 1863 . See J . See also:Hutten, See also:James and Philip van Artevelde (See also:London, 1882) ; W . J . See also:Ashley, James and Philip van Artevelde (London, 1883) ; P . Nameche, See also:Les van Artevelde et leur epoque (See also:Louvain, 1887) ; L .

Vanderkindere, Le Siecle See also:

des Arteveldes (See also:Brussels, 1879) .

End of Article: JACOB VAN ARTEVELDE (c. 1290-1345)
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