Kingdom of Great Britain

• 1. Treaty And Union Formation

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  On the 1st of May 1707, the separate Parliaments of England and Scotland ceased to exist. They were replaced by a single Parliament of Great Britain sitting at the Palace of Westminster. This legal merger followed the Treaty of Union agreed in 1706 between representatives from both kingdoms. Queen Anne became the first monarch to rule this unified state after her reign began in 1702. The Act of Settlement 1701 had already dictated that only Protestants could inherit the throne. This requirement forced the succession onto the House of Hanover when Anne died without a clear heir. The new kingdom kept distinct legal systems for England and Scotland. Scots law remained in use alongside English law. Religious institutions also stayed separate with the Church of England and the Church of Scotland operating independently.

• 2. Hanoverian Succession Politics

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  George I arrived in London in 1714 as a foreign prince who spoke no English. He spent much of his time back in Hanover where he conducted significant negotiations. His ministers translated documents into French for him because few knew German. The Jacobite rising of 1715 attempted to overthrow him and restore the Stuart line. The Earl of Mar led eighteen peers and 10,000 men against the new king. Poorly organized forces faced defeat and several leaders were executed. Some 700 prominent followers were deported to sugar plantations in the West Indies. George I supported the expulsion of Tories from power until his great-grandson came to the throne in 1760. The Whigs gained control while many Tories remained in political wilderness for decades. The Septennial Act 1715 increased the maximum life of parliament from three years to seven years.

• 3. Walpole Era Governance

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  Robert Walpole rose to power in the House of Commons from 1721 to 1742. He became the first prime minister though the term was only in use by 1727. Walpole managed corruption through patronage that gave allies high places and lifetime pensions. Over 140 members held powerful positions thanks to this system including 24 at the royal court. South Sea stock peaked at £1,060 on the 25th of June 1720 before falling to £150 by September. Hundreds of men went bankrupt when the bubble burst. Walpole removed all 33 company directors and stripped them of 82% of their wealth on average. He reduced land tax from four shillings to one shilling by 1732. His foreign policy avoided war with France under Cardinal Fleury. Walpole died in 1745 after twenty years as Prime Minister.

• 4. Seven Years War Expansion

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  The Seven Years' War began in 1756 and involved British troops across Europe India North America and Africa. Britain lost Minorca in 1756 but turned fortunes around during the miracle year of 1759. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham captured Quebec City while French forces were repulsed in India. The Treaty of Paris signed in 1763 marked the high point of the First British Empire. New France came under British control ending France's future in North America. The John Company repelled French sieges at Madras and gained control over Bengal through victories at Plassey and Buxar. Robert Clive led these campaigns that made the East India Company a major power. The Royal Navy confirmed its reputation as the world's foremost naval force after battles at Lagos and Quiberon Bay. France remained bitter and thirsting for revenge after losing so much territory.

• 5. American Independence Loss

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  Relations with the Thirteen Colonies turned from benign neglect to outright revolt during the 1760s and 1770s. Parliament insisted on taxing colonists without their consent to recover losses from the French and Indian War. The American Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord in 1775. On the 4th of July 1776 the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence authored largely by Thomas Jefferson. George Washington led the Continental Army against successive British invasions. Approximately 8,500 British troops were killed in action during the war. The Treaty of Paris signed in 1783 acknowledged independence and sovereignty of the thirteen colonies. Between 40,000 and 60,000 defeated Loyalists migrated to Canada after the American victory. Some brought slaves while others went to Sierra Leone in Africa. New Brunswick was split off from Nova Scotia in 1784 to house these refugees.

• 6. Napoleonic Wars And Union

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  The regicide of King Louis XVI in 1793 started long bitter wars with France lasting until 1815. Napoleon came to power in 1799 and threatened invasion of Great Britain itself. French ports were blockaded by the Royal Navy throughout this period. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 sought to overthrow British rule with hoped-for French support that never arrived. Total death toll ranged between 10,000 and 30,000 people including bloody reprisals. Prime Minister William Pitt believed union was the only solution to Ireland's problems. The Act of Union 1800 formally united Great Britain and Ireland on the 1st of January 1801. The Irish Parliament closed down as compensation and patronage ensured its support. George III continued as King of the United Kingdom until his death in 1820. Anti-Catholicism emerged as glue holding three kingdoms together during these conflicts.