Constitutional change
Union of Scotland and England, 1707
The Kingdoms of Scotland and England were united as Great Britain, with one Parliament, from 1 May 1707.
What happened
Under Article I of the Union, Scotland and England were to be united into one kingdom called Great Britain from 1 May 1707.[1] Article III created a single Parliament of Great Britain, and the Parliament of Scotland, which had made laws for the kingdom since the early thirteenth century, ceased to sit.[2][3]
The Union did not merge every Scottish institution. Article XIX, for example, kept the Court of Session within Scotland.[4]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Article I of the Union provided that Scotland and England would be united into one kingdom named Great Britain from 1 May 1707.
- Union with England Act 1707 (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), 1707) link, Article I. Source record
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2.
Claim: Article III provided for a single Parliament of Great Britain.
- Union with England Act 1707 (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), 1707) link, Article III. Source record
- Scottish Parliament, Origins of the Scottish Parliament (Scottish Parliament) link, Origins of the Scottish Parliament. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
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3.
Claim: The Parliament of Scotland was the law-maker of the independent Kingdom of Scotland from the early thirteenth century until 1707.
- Scottish Parliament, Origins of the Scottish Parliament (Scottish Parliament) link, Origins of the Scottish Parliament. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
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4.
Claim: Article XIX kept the Court of Session within Scotland after the Union.
- Union with England Act 1707 (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), 1707) link, Article XIX. Source record