MessageToEagle.com – On May 1, 1707, England and Scotland are united as the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Act of Union finally cemented what had been a growing interdependence between these two countries under the name of Great Britain.
Neither side was completely satisfied with the Union, but it seemed necessary. Particularly, the Scottish people had to accept the loss of their ancient independence against the need to open themselves up to a wider world and greater opportunities than their own country could provide.
The English gained needed security, for no longer could European powers use Scotland as a base for an attack on its southern neighbor.
England and Scotland had each led independent existences for centuries. England had been formed from a union of minor kingdoms in the 10th century and Scotland was founded in 843 by Kenneth I, King of Scots.
Since 1603 England and Scotland had been under the same monarchs. When James VI of Scots ascended the English throne as James I of England, he was monarch of two separate and independent states.
James wanted a complete or perfect union that brought the two kingdoms into a single, enlarged and unified state.
However, he failed to win both hearts and minds of people with his vision of a single British kingdom under one imperial crown.
He accepted his defeat but in October 1604 he decreed that he would in future be known by the style and title of King of Great Britain and not by the divided names of England and Scotland.
At the beginning of the 18th century,both kingdoms had many pressing problems. England was at war with France. The French king was planning to place a Jacobite king on the Scottish throne, and England feared this possibility.
Deprived of trade with the English Colonies, Scotland was almost bankrupt. Scotland’s need for economic security and material assistance was obvious. England needed political safeguards against French attacks and a possible Jacobite restoration, for which Scotland might serve as a conveniently open back door.
Slowly both sides began to understand: they needed mutually acceptable solution to their problems.
Queen Anne (1665 – 1714), the last of the Stuart monarchs, appointed the commissioners and supervised the Union of England and Scotland.
With only minor amendments the Scottish Parliament passed the treaty in January 1707, and the English passed it soon after. The royal assent was given on March 6, and the union went into effect on May 1, 1707.
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