England and Scotland Are United into Great Britain
The union of England and Scotland into Great Britain was formalized on May 1, 1707, through the Act of Union, which established a single monarch and parliament for both nations. Prior to this, England and Scotland were independent kingdoms with a history marked by conflict and economic disparities, often leading to England's dominance in various domains. The union was partly driven by Scotland's severe economic challenges in the late 17th century, which included crop failures and a failed colonial venture in Panama, alongside restrictive trade practices imposed by England. In negotiating the union, it was agreed that Scotland would send representatives to the British Parliament while retaining certain rights, such as its Presbyterian Church and legal system.
The Scottish parliament was dissolved as part of the agreement, and the union aimed to alleviate Scotland's economic difficulties by allowing free trade with English colonies and providing financial assistance. Despite some resistance, particularly from the Highland clans who favored independence, the union ultimately succeeded, with the Scottish parliament approving the Act by a significant majority. The aftermath of the union saw Scotland increasingly integrated into Great Britain's political and economic framework, marking a pivotal moment in the history of the British Isles.
England and Scotland Are United into Great Britain
England and Scotland Are United into Great Britain
On May 1, 1707, the Act of Union of 1707 went into effect, uniting the two nations of England and Scotland into Great Britain. Henceforth, there would be one monarch and one parliament for both countries.
England and Scotland, neighbors on the largest island of the British Isles, had been independent kingdoms for centuries. The relationship had been a turbulent one, with many conflicts and frequent wars, but England, with its larger population and more advanced economy, came to dominate the Scots economically and militarily. It was the Scots, however, who first unified the country under one crown.
In 1603, for a variety of reasons relating to intermarriages between aristocratic families, King James VI of Scotland also became King James I of England after Elizabeth I died without any children. He was the first of the Stuart dynasty of kings, but the countries still had separate parliaments, legal systems, and so forth. During the English civil wars, after King Charles I was executed, England and Scotland were united in 1654 as part of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. However, with the return of Charles II from exile and the restoration of the Stuart dynasty in 1660, they became separate kingdoms under one monarch again.
A complete union with Scotland would have many advantages for England, most notably the elimination of the Scottish parliament, which could often be stubborn and inconvenient for the English. Beginning in the 1690s, Scotland began to suffer severe economic problems. There was a series of crop failures, and a massive undertaking to build a Scottish colony in Panama—which had attracted many investors from all levels of society— went completely bankrupt. Intensifying the problems were a series of trade restrictions passed by the English parliament against the Scots, that were leveled not just against imports into England but also against Scottish traders with English colonies abroad. Driven together by their mutual interests in resolving these problems, English and Scottish representatives met to negotiate a union. They agreed on a formula whereby the Scottish parliament would be dissolved, but Scotland would have the right to send 45 members to the English House of Commons and 16 members to the House of Lords. The resulting institution would be called the British Parliament, and the two nations would be unified as Great Britain. However, Scotland would retain its Presbyterian Church, much of its legal system, and other rights. Furthermore, trade restrictions against Scotland would end, the Scots would be free to trade with the English colonies, and a large cash payment would be made by the English government to help Scotland with its economic problems.
After lengthy bickering, the Scottish parliament approved the Act of Union by a vote of 110 to 67 on January 16, 1707. Its last meeting was on March 25 of that same year. There was considerable resistance in the Highlands, however, where the independent and warlike clans wanted no part of any union and wished to restore to the monarchy the exiled son of James II (the Stuart king who lost his throne during a brief English revolution in the late 17th century). After a series of rebellions, the Highlanders were finally crushed in the 1740s, and the Union of 1707 encountered no serious resistance afterwards.