Personal Union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland

This article is about the specific polity Personal Union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland 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

Is the composite polity that emerged from the Personal Union of England and Scotland in 1603, when James of Scotland inherited the English Crown. It became the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 with the Acts of Union.

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. Personal Union of Scotland and England

In 1603, James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch of England and Ireland, who had died childless, joining Scotland with England in a personal union.

2. European wars of religion

Were a series of wars in Europe (and the overseas possessions of European countries) the 16th, 17th and early 18th that started after the Protestant Reformation. Although the immediate causes of the wars were religious, the motives were complex and also included territorial ambitions.

2.1.Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Were a series of intertwined conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They resulted in victory for the Parliamentarian army, the execution of Charles I, the abolition of monarchy, and founding of the Commonwealth of England, a Unitary state which controlled the British Isles until the Stuart Restoration in 1660.

2.1.1.First English Civil War

Was a civil war in England and Wales that opposed the Royalists (that believed in the in the superiority of the king over the parliament) and the Parliamentarians (that wanted a constitutional monarchy). The war was won by the Parliamentarians who imposed a constitutional monarchy on king Charles I. The refusal of the king to make concession caused the Second English Civil War.

2.2.Thirty Years' War aftermath wars

Were a series of wars that were a continuation of the Thirty Years' War.

2.2.1.Franco-Spanish War (1648-1659)

Was a war between Spain and France that ended with the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659.

3. Glorious Revolution

Was a revolution in England and Scotland that led to the deposition of Catholic King James II.

4. 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.

5. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

Disestablishment

Selected Sources