Kingdom of Great Britain

This article is about the specific polity Kingdom of Great Britain and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

With the acts of Union of 1707 the Kingdoms of England and Scotland, that were in Personal Union since 1603, were officially united into one Kingdom.

Summary

James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603 after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. This united the crowns of England and Scotland under one monarch, though the two countries continued to have separate parliaments and laws. James was known as the "wisest fool in Christendom" - he was learned but mean and undignified, and never truly understood his English subjects. He insisted on the divine right of kings, leading to constant disputes with Parliament.

James I was succeeded by his son Charles I, who was executed by Parliament in 1649 after a civil war. England then became a republic known as the Commonwealth, ruled by Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was a skillful military leader who crushed rebellions in Ireland and Scotland, but his Puritan rule was resented. After Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored in 1660 with the coronation of Charles II.

Charles II was succeeded by his brother James II, a Catholic, in 1685. This caused unrest, and in 1688 James was deposed in the "Glorious Revolution." The English Parliament invited William of Orange, a Protestant, to take the throne as William III, jointly with his wife Mary, the daughter of James II. This established the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy.

In 1707, the Acts of Union officially united the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Hanoverian succession began in 1714 with the accession of George I, who relied on the Whig party. His successor George II faced Jacobite rebellions from supporters of the deposed Stuart dynasty, but these were suppressed.

Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and her long reign saw great changes and expansion of the British Empire. Despite the monarch's reduced political powers, Victoria was a hugely popular and influential figure. Under her reign, the monarchy was reformed and the country experienced major social and political reforms, including the abolition of slavery and the expansion of the franchise.

Establishment

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Acts of Union 1707

In 1707, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland were united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain under the terms of the Acts of Union. The Acts took effect on 1 May 1707. On this date, the Scottish Parliament and the English Parliament united to form the Parliament of Great Britain.

2. War of the Austrian Succession

Was a European conflict caused by the succession to the Habsburg Domains. Maria Theresa succeeded her father Charles VI, and the opposition to female inheritance of the throne was a pretext for starting a war. It was a global conflict that saw fight in Europe, Asia, America and Africa.

2.1.Jacobite rising of 1745

Was an uprising in Great Britain that attempted to regain the British throne for the House of Stuart.

3. French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Were a series of conflicts between France and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompass first the French Revolutionary Wars against the newly declared French Republic and from 1803 onwards the Napoleonic Wars against First Consul and later Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. They include the Coalition Wars as a subset: seven wars waged by various military alliances of great European powers, known as Coalitions, against Revolutionary France - later the First French Empire - and its allies.

3.1.Irish Rebellion of 1798

Was an uprising against British rule in Ireland.

3.1.1.Acts of Union of 1800

Were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The acts came into force on 1 January 1801.

Disestablishment