Acts of Union 1707

The Acts of Union were two landmark pieces of legislation—one passed by the Parliament of England and the other by the Parliament of Scotland—that brought the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland together to form a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain, on 1 May 1707. These Acts implemented the international Treaty of Union agreed the previous year and established a new political order under the sovereignty of Queen Anne. Although both countries had shared a monarch since 1603, they had remained separately governed kingdoms until the Union created a unified Parliament of Great Britain at Westminster.

Introduction and Context

The Union of 1707 was the culmination of a long and often contentious relationship between England and Scotland. Earlier attempts to unite the two states—in 1606, 1667, and 1689—had failed due to political resistance, religious division, and concerns about national identity. By the early eighteenth century, however, the political, economic and strategic circumstances within both kingdoms had shifted sufficiently to allow a treaty of union to gain support.

Political Background

The Union of the Crowns (1603)

In 1603 Elizabeth I of England died without children. Her nearest Protestant relative was James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England, thus uniting the crowns in a personal union. Despite this dynastic link, the countries remained separate sovereign entities, each with its own parliament, legal system, and church.
James I advocated strongly for a political union and pressed for a unified British state. A commission was appointed in 1603 to explore terms for union, but political opposition—particularly within the English Parliament—stalled progress. English MPs feared that a union might strengthen the monarchy at their expense, and the proposal was abandoned.

Religious Divisions and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

The early seventeenth century was marked by profound religious tension. The Church of Scotland, Presbyterian in doctrine, viewed many Anglican practices as too closely aligned with Roman Catholicism. Attempts by James I and later Charles I to impose ecclesiastical conformity deepened resentment, contributing to the Bishops’ Wars and ultimately to the broader Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Following these conflicts, Scotland cooperated with the English Parliament under the Solemn League and Covenant, but their aims centred on preserving the Scottish kirk rather than achieving political union.

Union under the Commonwealth (1650–1660)

After the defeat of Scotland in the Anglo-Scottish War, Oliver Cromwell incorporated Scotland into the Commonwealth, creating a single parliament and establishing free trade between the two countries. However, this union was imposed under military occupation and lacked public legitimacy. It ended with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660.

Economic Pressures and Renewed Negotiation

The second half of the seventeenth century brought serious economic strain to Scotland. English legislation such as the Navigation Acts restricted Scottish trade, while successive Anglo-Dutch Wars damaged Scotland’s commercial interests. Efforts to secure improved trading rights through joint commissions met with little success.
The situation deteriorated further in the 1690s during the so-called Seven ill years, a period of famine and economic hardship throughout Scotland. Scottish investment in the Darien scheme, a colonial venture in Panama, resulted in near-total financial collapse. Many Scottish elites concluded that economic survival required closer integration with England.

The Road to the Treaty of Union

By the early eighteenth century, political tensions over royal succession intensified the push for union. The Act of Settlement 1701 secured the English succession in the Protestant Hanoverian line, but Scotland passed its Act of Security 1704, asserting the right to choose a different successor unless trade and governance issues were addressed. England responded with the Alien Act 1705, threatening economic penalties unless Scotland agreed to negotiate a treaty.
Under these pressures, each kingdom appointed Royal Commissioners to negotiate the terms of an international treaty. Although motivations differed—England sought security of succession and strategic stability, while Scotland sought economic opportunity and protection of its kirk—the resulting agreement provided a framework acceptable to both sides.

The Acts of Union and Their Provisions

The Scottish Parliament ratified the Treaty of Union in early 1707, followed by the English Parliament. Key provisions included:

• The formation of a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain, from 1 May 1707.
• A single Parliament of Great Britain, seated at Westminster.
• A unified market with free trade throughout the new kingdom.
• A monetary and customs union, creating a shared economic system.
• The Hanoverian Protestant succession, applying to both former kingdoms.
• Protection of distinct Scottish institutions, including:
  • the Scottish legal system,
  • the Presbyterian Church of Scotland,
  • Scottish education and courts.

These safeguards ensured that the Union did not erase Scottish cultural or institutional identity, even as political sovereignty was transferred to a joint parliament.

Motivations Behind the Union

Scottish Motivations

• Severe economic hardship following famine and the failure of the Darien scheme.
• Desire for access to English colonial markets and economic protection.
• The need to safeguard Presbyterianism under a stable Protestant succession.
• A wish for political stability amid strained relations with England.

English Motivations

• Securing the Hanoverian succession and preventing Scotland from choosing a rival Catholic monarch.
• Avoiding the strategic threat of an independent Scotland allied with a hostile European power.
• Expanding and consolidating a unified British state capable of competing with continental rivals.

Consequences of Union

The 1707 Union transformed the political landscape of the British Isles. While sovereignty now lay in a single parliament, Scotland retained significant autonomy in internal matters. The Union also laid the groundwork for the later Acts of Union 1800, which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Over time, the economic benefits of union became evident, particularly through access to England’s expanding imperial markets. Nonetheless, political debates over the nature of the Union, Scottish identity, and the distribution of power have continued to influence constitutional developments into the modern era.

Significance

The Acts of Union of 1706–1707 represent a major moment in the formation of the British state. They ended centuries of intermittent conflict, unified two historically distinct kingdoms, and created the political structure that underpins modern Britain. The Union reflected the broader European trend toward state centralisation during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, while preserving key national distinctions within the new political framework.