The Kingdom of Great Britain came into being when the Acts of Union of 1707 merged the kingdoms of England and Scotland into a single state with one parliament, based at Westminster. The two countries had shared a monarch since 1603, but they had kept separate governments and laws. The union was driven by political and economic motives, including the Scottish financial crisis after the failed Darien scheme and English concerns about the succession to the throne. Scotland kept its own legal and church systems. During the kingdom's existence Britain expanded its overseas empire, fought wars with France, and lost its American colonies. In 1801 it merged with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom.
Before and after
- 1706Founding of Albuquerque
- 17 January 1706Birth of Benjamin Franklin
- 15 April 1707Birth of Leonhard Euler
- 30 April 1707Acts of Union 1707
- from 1 May 1707 to 1 January 1801Kingdom of Great Britain
- from 29 July 1707 to 21 August 1707Siege of Toulon
- from 14 September 1708 to 21 September 1708Capture of Minorca
- 18 September 1709Birth of Samuel Johnson
- 29 December 1709Birth of Elizabeth I of Russia
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 1541Founding of Santiago
- from 1547 to 1721Tsardom of Russia
- from c. 1583 to 1997British Empire
- from 16th century to 18th centuryBaroque
- 1623Founding of Barbados
- 29 March 1693Founding of Curitiba
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.