Y8 History Week beginning 08/06/20 The Act of Union Please spend ONE HOUR on each lesson this week. Lesson One: 1. Read the text on the Act of Union. Why do you think that England and Scotland wanted to unite in the 18th century? 2. Use the second reading to explain why England wanted a union with Scotland. 3. Read through the terms of the Act of Union and answer the questions. There is a ‘modern’ version of the text at the end of this document, but try to complete it using the primary source first. 4. Read through the third reading and identify as many reasons as possible why the English and the Scots wanted the Union. 5. Use the next reading to list the factors that strengthened and weakened the union. 6. Write a summary paragraph that explains why the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Wales joined together in 1707. 7. Save or print your work. Task 1 On 28th July, 1707, during the reign of Queen Anne, this flag was by royal proclamation made the National flag of Great Britain. The Act of Union of 1707, joined England and Scotland together, creating a single kingdom with a single Parliament called 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'. England, Wales and Scotland were now united together under one monarch and one parliament. Think back to the work that we’ve done over the previous lessons. Why do you think that England and Scotland wanted to unite at the start of the 18th century (1700s)? Task 2 By 1700 England, Scotland and Wales were linked at various levels. In the 16th century, Henry VIII brought Wales completely under the control of England. As a result, laws in Wales were now the same as in England; the official language of Wales and its government became English; and Wales was represented in the English Parliament at Westminster. England and Scotland had also drawn closer together after they both became Protestant countries in the sixteenth century. In 1603 the crowns of the two countries had been united (King James I). Early in the 18th century, English politicians feared that if Queen Anne died without an agreed heir, Scotland might offer the Scottish crown to her Catholic half-brother (James Stuart, the son of James II). The English and Welsh government had already agreed that the crown should go to the great- grandson of King James I, George. George was the Elector (ruler) of Hanover, a small country in what is now Germany. The Hanoverians, as George’s family became known, were the nearest Protestants in the line of succession. Had Catholics been allowed to become the monarch, George would have been 56th in line to the throne! In order to prevent Scotland having a separate monarch to England again, the two countries tried to reach a political agreement. In 1707 Acts of Union were passed by the Parliaments of England and Scotland, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain. These Acts abolished the Scottish Parliament and transferred the Scottish representatives to Westminster. Most importantly, they also ensured that Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland all shared a monarch. In your own words, explain why England wanted a union with Scotland: Task 3 The Articles of Union with Scotland (first three pages are pictured below) were agreed on 22 July 1706. They were then approved by the Scottish Parliament on 28 January 1707. The English Parliament made them into law the following March, and the England and Scotland became the United Kingdom in May 1707. If you like a challenge, read through the original text of the document (below) and answer the questions. Try working with the primary source first! If this is too difficult, however, I’ve included a ‘modern’ translation at the end of this document: I. That the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland shall upon the first day of May and for ever after be United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain. And that the Ensigns (flags) of the said United Kingdom be such as her Majesty shall appoint. And the Crosses of St. George and St. Andrew be Conjoined in such manner as her Majesty shall think fit, and used in all Flags, Banners, Standards and Ensigne both at Sea and Land. II. That the Succession to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and of the Dominions belonging to her Majesty be remain and continue to the most Excellent Princess Sophia Electoress and Duchess Dowager of Hannover and the Heirs of her body being Protestants upon whom the Crown of England is Settled by An Act of Parliament (Intitled An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject) And that all Papists and Persons Marrying Papists shall be Excluded from and for ever Incapable to Inherit, Possess or Enjoy the Imperial Crown of Great Britain and the Dominions. III. That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be Represented by one and the same Parliament to be Styled (called) the Parliament of Great Britain. IV. That all the Subjects of the United Kingdom of Great Britain shall from and after the Union have full Freedom and Intercourse of Trade and Navigation to and from any Port or Place within the new United Kingdom; And that there be a Communication of all other Rights, Privileges and Advantages which do or may belong to the Subjects of either Kingdom. What does Article 1 create? What does Article 2 guarantee? What do Articles 3 and 4 suggest was a reason why both countries wanted the union? Look closely at the first page of the Act of Union. What flowers are drawn at the bottom? How are they linked and why is this significant? Which nation is missing from the first Union Flag and is not mentioned in the first Act of Union? Why do you think this is? Task 4 Read through the article below, and make a list of other reasons why the English wanted the Union, and why the Scots wanted the Union. (Adapted from ‘The Act of Union’ by Ben Johnson, written for historic-uk.com) Uniting the kingdoms of Scotland and England had been proposed for a hundred years before it actually happened in 1707. Suspicion and mistrust between the two countries had prevented the union throughout the 17th century. The Scots feared that they would simply become another region of England, being swallowed up as had happened to Wales some four hundred years earlier. For England the fear that the Scots may take sides with France and rekindle the ‘Auld Alliance’ was decisive. England relied heavily on Scottish soldiers and to have them turn and join ranks with the French would have been disastrous. In the late 1690s however, thousands of ordinary Scottish folk had been tempted to invest their hard earned money in a plan to link the two great oceans of the world by establishing an overland trading route between the Pacific and Atlantic. Almost every Scot who had £5 in his or her pocket invested in the Darien Scheme, a plan to establish a Scottish colony in Panama in Central America. Poorly planned, the venture ended early in 1700 with significant loss of life and financial ruin for the Kingdom of Scotland. Almost all of the settlers were killed by disease or the Spanish army, who also wanted to colonise Panama. Everything was lost. With many influential individuals and whole families left bankrupt by the disaster, a few financial incentives appear to have convinced some dithering Scottish MPs of the potential benefits of a union with England. In the words of Robert Burns, they (the Scottish MPs) were “bought and sold for English gold”. In a poorly attended Scottish Parliament the MPs voted to agree the Union and on 16 January 1707 the Act of Union was signed. The Act came into effect on May 1st 1707; the Scottish Parliament and the English Parliament united to form the Parliament of Great Britain, based in the Palace of Westminster, London, the home of the English Parliament. Scotland kept its independence with respect to its legal and religious systems, but coinage, taxation, sovereignty, trade, parliament and flag became one. The red cross of St. George combined with the blue cross of St. Andrew resulting in the ‘old’ union flag. This is popularly called the Union Jack, although strictly speaking, this only applies when it is flown on a warship. Task 5 Adapted from the National Archives: Despite the political ties that had been established, differences between England, Scotland and Wales remained strong. Scottish society kept its distinctive characteristics. Scottish attitudes to the union were mixed, and many in England viewed the Scots with mistrust due to the threat posed by the Jacobites (those who wanted to restore James II to the throne). Although England's relations with Wales were less tense, the Welsh language remained the main language spoken in Wales, apart from in the border areas and certain towns. From the middle of the 18th century powerful forces began to create a sense that a British nation had come into being. The building of well-maintained and safe roads called turnpikes, as well as new canals, made it easier to exchange news, goods and services than ever before. Trade had been boosted by the Union in 1707 as the English didn’t have to pay taxes (called ‘customs’) to sell to the Scots, and vice versa. The growth of Britain’s empire and overseas trade provided Scots with opportunities to build careers and fortunes.