## Learning Outcomes

- Explain what changed in 1707 and what changed in 1801, and name the new states created
- Identify what institutions Scotland kept after 1707
- Recall the key dates: 1707, 1 May 1707, 1800, and 1 January 1801
- Link the 1801 union to the modern Union Flag (Union Jack) design
- Connect the Acts of Union to the wider development of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary power in Britain

## Life in the UK Test Syllabus

For the Life in the UK Test, you are expected to understand how the UK was formed through parliamentary union, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know that the Act of Union 1707 (Treaty of Union in Scotland) created the Kingdom of Great Britain
- Know that Scotland was no longer independent after 1707 but kept its own legal and education systems and Presbyterian Church
- Distinguish the Union of the Crowns (1603) from the political union created in 1707
- Know that the Act of Union (passed 1800, effective 1801) united Ireland with Great Britain, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Know that the Union Flag (Union Jack) combines the crosses of St George, St Andrew, and St Patrick, and that the modern design dates from 1801
- Avoid common date confusions: 1707 is Great Britain; 1801 is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. What new country was created by the Act of Union 1707?
2. Name two Scottish institutions that continued after 1707.
3. The Act of Union with Ireland was passed in 1800. On what date did it come into effect?
4. Which cross was added to the Union Flag in 1801?
5. What is the difference between the Union of the Crowns (1603) and the Act of Union (1707)?
6. How did the Glorious Revolution help limit the power of the monarch and increase the role of Parliament?

## Introduction

Two different Acts of Union are essential facts for the Life in the UK Test. The first (1707) united England (including Wales) and Scotland into one new country. The second (effective 1801) united Great Britain and Ireland into a larger state and led to the modern design of the Union Flag.

These unions were not only about borders on a map. They changed how the countries were governed, which parliament made laws, and how national identity was expressed through symbols like the flag. They also built on earlier changes, especially the shift from absolute monarchy towards **constitutional monarchy**, where the monarch’s powers are limited by law and by Parliament.

> **Key Term: Act of Union**
> A law (or paired laws) passed by parliaments to unite two countries into one state with a single constitutional and political structure.

### Before 1707: the Union of the Crowns and why it mattered

To understand 1707 clearly, you must first separate a shared monarch from a united country.

In **1603**, **James VI of Scotland** also became **James I of England**. England (which already included Wales) and Scotland now had the same monarch. This is called the **Union of the Crowns**. However, the two countries still had **separate parliaments**, separate laws, and separate political systems. Scotland remained an independent state in legal and political terms.

After the events of the 17th century, questions about succession and religion became urgent. In the late 1600s, the **Glorious Revolution (1688)** removed **James II** (a Roman Catholic) and brought **William of Orange** and **Mary** to the throne. The **Bill of Rights (1689)** limited the monarch’s power and confirmed that the monarch must be **Protestant**. Parliament became central to government, and the idea of a **constitutional monarchy** developed.

These changes were reinforced when, at the coronation of William and Mary, a Declaration of Rights was read. This confirmed that the king would no longer be able to raise taxes or administer justice without agreement from Parliament. From then on, the balance of power between monarch and Parliament had permanently shifted, and the monarch needed ministers who could manage support in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Party politics began to emerge, with Whigs and Tories organising support for different policies.

These issues affected relations across the islands. When **Queen Anne** (r. 1702–1714) had no surviving children, there was uncertainty about who would succeed her, and whether England and Scotland might end up with different monarchs again. This was one factor behind the agreement to unite parliaments and create a single state in 1707.

> **Key Term: Union of the Crowns**
> The union in 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, meaning England (with Wales) and Scotland shared a monarch but remained separate states.
>
> **Test Tip:** If a question offers 1603 and 1707, remember: **1603 = same monarch**; **1707 = one new country and one parliament**.

### Act of Union 1707: creating the Kingdom of Great Britain

The **Act of Union 1707** (called the **Treaty of Union** in Scotland) was agreed during the reign of **Queen Anne**. It created a new state: the **Kingdom of Great Britain**.

This meant:

- England and Scotland were no longer separate kingdoms.
- The **Parliament of Scotland** and the **Parliament of England** were replaced by **one parliament** based at **Westminster in London**.
- Great Britain was now governed through a single set of central political institutions.

A key point for the test is that the union did not erase all Scottish distinctiveness. Although Scotland was no longer an independent country, it kept its own:

- **legal system**
- **education system**
- **Presbyterian Church** (the Church of Scotland)

So, after 1707, Scotland was part of Great Britain but still maintained major institutions that continue to shape Scottish life today.

In practice, Scottish representatives sat in the Parliament at Westminster, but Scottish law continued to be interpreted in Scottish courts, and Scottish universities and schools continued to operate within their own traditions. This compromise helped make the union politically acceptable to enough influential people in Scotland and England to pass.

> **Key Term: Kingdom of Great Britain**
> The country created in 1707 when England (including Wales) and Scotland united under one parliament at Westminster.

The 1707 union is often tested as a straightforward fact: **“What did the Act of Union create?”** The correct answer is the **Kingdom of Great Britain**.

It is also useful to understand why Wales is included with England in this context: by 1707, Wales had long been united with England under the English crown and English legal system, so the union was between **England (including Wales)** and **Scotland**.

> **Test Tip:** Watch for wording in multiple-choice questions. If you see **“Great Britain”**, link it to **1707**. If you see **“United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”**, link it to **1801**.

### Act of Union 1800 / union effective 1801: creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Ireland had shared a monarch with England (and Wales) since **Henry VIII**, but it remained a separate country for many centuries. It had its own parliament (based in Dublin) even though English and later British influence over Ireland was strong.

The **Act of Union of 1800** (passed in **1800**) took effect on **1 January 1801**. From that date, Ireland became unified with Great Britain. The new state was called the:

- **United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland**

For the test, you should be clear on the date handling:

- **1800** = the act(s) were passed
- **1 January 1801** = the union began in practice, and the new state existed from that day

A major constitutional effect of this union was that Ireland became part of the UK’s central political structure at Westminster, rather than being governed through a separate Irish parliament. Irish MPs and peers now sat alongside those from England, Scotland, and Wales in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The 1801 union also took place during a period when Britain was becoming a global power, with a growing empire and a powerful navy. Having a single parliament and state that included Ireland helped the British government organise taxation, defence, and trade in a more unified way across the islands.

> **Key Term: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland**
> The state created on 1 January 1801 when Ireland united with Great Britain under the Act of Union passed in 1800.

This 1801 union is also linked to a well-known national symbol: the **Union Flag**, often called the **Union Jack**.

### The Union Flag after 1801: what changed and what the crosses mean

One symbol of the union between England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland was the updated **Union Flag** in **1801**. The modern design combines three crosses linked to patron saints:

- **St George** (England): a **red cross on a white background**
- **St Andrew** (Scotland): a **white diagonal cross on a blue background**
- **St Patrick** (Ireland): a **red diagonal cross on a white background**

The addition that matters for 1801 is **St Patrick’s Cross**. This change produced the version of the Union Flag used today.

Wales has its own official flag (the red dragon) but does not appear on the Union Flag. The reason is historical: when the first Union Flag design was created in **1606** (combining England and Scotland), Wales was already united with England.

> **Key Term: Union Flag (Union Jack)**
> The national flag of the UK, combining the crosses of St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland), and St Patrick (Ireland); the modern version dates from 1801.
>
> **Test Tip:** Questions on the flag often test two linked facts: (1) the **three crosses**, and (2) **why Wales is not included** (already united with England when the first design was made in 1606).

### Putting the unions in order: a simple timeline you should memorise

Many candidates lose easy marks by mixing up what happened in 1707 and 1801. Use this timeline to keep the sequence clear:

- **1603**: Union of the Crowns (one monarch; separate states and parliaments)
- **1688–1689**: Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights begin the shift to constitutional monarchy
- **1707**: Act/Treaty of Union creates the **Kingdom of Great Britain**
- **1800**: Act of Union with Ireland is passed
- **1 January 1801**: union takes effect; **United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland** is created; Union Flag updated

If you can recall these four dates and the names of the new states, you can answer most Life in the UK questions on this topic.

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- The Union of the Crowns in 1603 meant a shared monarch but separate parliaments and states
- The Act of Union 1707 (Treaty of Union in Scotland) created the Kingdom of Great Britain
- After 1707, Scotland was not independent but kept its own legal and education systems and Presbyterian Church
- The Act of Union with Ireland was passed in 1800 and came into effect on 1 January 1801
- The 1801 union created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- The modern Union Flag design dates from 1801
- The Union Flag combines the crosses of St George, St Andrew, and St Patrick
- Wales is not on the Union Flag because Wales was already united with England when the first Union Flag was created in 1606
- A common exam trap is confusing “Great Britain” (1707) with “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland” (1801)
- The Acts of Union took place in the wider context of a growing British Empire and the development of constitutional monarchy

## Key Terms and Concepts

- Act of Union
- Union of the Crowns
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Union Flag (Union Jack)


Stuarts and the Union - Acts of Union 1707 and 1801