OCR Specification focus:
‘the Scottish settlement and the Union with Scotland 1707’
The Scottish Settlement and the Act of Union of 1707 transformed the constitutional, political, and economic relationship between England and Scotland, unifying both nations under one parliament.
Background to the Scottish Settlement
Anglo-Scottish Relations Before 1707
England and Scotland had shared a monarch since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, but they remained politically and legally distinct kingdoms. Key differences included:
Separate parliaments and legal systems.
Differing religious structures: Presbyterian Church in Scotland versus the Anglican Church in England.
Divergent economic fortunes, with Scotland weaker and heavily dependent on trade links.
The Restoration (1660) and later Revolution Settlement (1689–90) reinforced divisions, particularly over religion. Scotland’s Presbyterian Kirk was confirmed, but many Scots feared English interference.
The Problem of Succession
Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, William III and Mary II were installed as joint monarchs. By the early 1700s, the English Act of Settlement (1701) declared that the crown would pass to the Protestant House of Hanover.
Scotland, however, resisted being bound by English succession laws. The Act of Security (1704) gave the Scottish Parliament power to choose its own successor, raising the prospect of a different monarch and destabilising the kingdoms.
Causes of the 1707 Union
Economic Pressures in Scotland
Scotland had suffered severe economic weakness at the turn of the century:
Failed harvests during the 1690s caused famine and hardship.
The Darien Scheme (1698–1700), Scotland’s attempt to establish a colony in Panama, ended in financial disaster.
Herman Moll’s map of “The Scots’ Settlement in America called New Caledonia” (1699), marking New Edinburgh, the Outward and Inward Bay of Caledonia, and surrounding topography. It illustrates the geographical setting of Scotland’s failed colonial venture. The map also shows period navigational details that exceed OCR requirements. Source
The failure intensified demands for closer ties with England, particularly to access its lucrative colonial trade.
Political and Security Concerns
For England, unification was driven by fears of Scottish political independence:
A separate Scottish succession might ally Scotland with France, England’s enemy in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714).
Scotland’s geographical position made it a potential base for Jacobite invasions, seeking to restore the deposed Stuarts.
For Scotland, English legislation such as the Alien Act (1705) threatened economic sanctions and restricted trade unless Scotland negotiated union, creating strong incentives to comply.
Negotiations and the Act of Union
Terms of the Union
Negotiations between commissioners from both kingdoms produced the Treaty of Union (1706), later ratified by both parliaments.
Scottish exemplification of the 1707 Treaty of Union, complete with appended wax seals of the commissioners. The document legally embodies the Anglo-Scottish agreement that created the Kingdom of Great Britain under a single Crown and Parliament. Its material form underscores the treaty’s constitutional authority. Source
Its provisions included:
Political Union: Scotland and England combined into the single Kingdom of Great Britain, ruled by one monarch and one parliament at Westminster.
Economic Union:
Scots gained equal access to English overseas markets and colonial trade.
Scotland received a substantial financial settlement (“Equivalent”), compensating investors in the Darien Scheme and offsetting increased taxation.
Religious and Legal Safeguards:
The Presbyterian Church of Scotland was guaranteed protection.
Scotland retained its own legal and educational systems.
Opposition and Division
The Union was deeply controversial within Scotland:
Many Presbyterians feared English dominance would erode religious independence.
Popular riots in Edinburgh and Glasgow reflected widespread resentment.
Critics accused Scottish commissioners of betraying national interests, with bribery and English financial incentives fuelling resentment.
Nevertheless, in 1707 the Acts of Union were passed by both parliaments, legally binding the settlement.
Consequences of the 1707 Union
Political Consequences
Scotland lost its independent parliament, sending only 45 MPs to the House of Commons and 16 peers to the House of Lords.
Despite representation, many Scots felt politically marginalised within a parliament dominated by English interests.
Economic Consequences
In the short term, Scots faced higher taxation, provoking resentment.
In the long term, access to English colonies stimulated trade expansion and contributed to the growth of Glasgow as a major port.
The Union laid foundations for Scotland’s role in the wider British Empire.
Religious and Cultural Consequences
The guaranteed security of the Presbyterian Church reassured many Scots.
However, cultural unease persisted, with widespread hostility towards the Union symbolising fears of loss of sovereignty.
Legacy of the Union
Immediate Reactions
Initially, the Union was unpopular in Scotland, regarded as an English imposition. The perception of corruption and betrayal left a lasting bitterness.
Jacobitism and Instability
The Union did not resolve the Jacobite threat. Many Scots, particularly in the Highlands, continued to support the Stuart claimants, leading to the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745.
Long-Term Importance
Despite early resistance, the Union ultimately provided stability in succession and security against France. Economically, it opened pathways for Scotland’s integration into a rapidly expanding commercial empire.
FAQ
Many Scots believed that their political independence was being sold for English financial incentives.
The secrecy of the negotiations and the accusations of bribery against commissioners fuelled resentment.
Street protests and pamphlets denounced the Union as the loss of Scotland’s parliament and autonomy, leading to the perception that it was forced rather than freely chosen.
The Alien Act threatened to treat Scots as aliens in England if Scotland refused to settle the succession in line with England.
Key provisions included:
Scottish property ownership in England could be restricted.
Anglo-Scottish trade could be banned.
The severe economic threat left the Scottish Parliament with little choice but to enter negotiations, as Scotland’s economy was already weak.
The Equivalent was set at £398,085, a sum intended to offset Scotland’s new tax burdens under Union.
It compensated investors in the failed Darien Scheme and reimbursed costs Scotland would incur by adopting England’s national debt obligations.
The payment was politically important, helping to secure Scottish elite support, but ordinary Scots saw it as evidence that their leaders were “bought” into Union.
The Act of Union included specific clauses protecting the Presbyterian Kirk.
Without these assurances, many Presbyterians would likely have opposed Union entirely, fearing domination by the Anglican Church.
The guarantee was vital in persuading cautious Scottish clergy and lay leaders that their religious freedoms would remain intact despite political absorption into Britain.
Glasgow was geographically well-positioned for Atlantic trade routes.
After 1707, Scottish merchants gained access to lucrative English colonies, particularly in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Tobacco imports from Virginia and Maryland were funnelled through Glasgow.
Profits helped Glasgow surpass Edinburgh in economic growth.
The city’s rapid prosperity contrasted with continuing resentment in other areas, showing the uneven economic impact of Union.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Give two reasons why Scotland faced economic difficulties in the years leading up to the Act of Union in 1707.
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for each valid reason, up to 2 marks.
Acceptable answers include:
The failure of the Darien Scheme (losses from investment and colonial failure).
Poor harvests in the 1690s leading to famine.
Weakness of Scotland’s economy compared to England.
Lack of access to overseas colonial markets.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how the terms of the Act of Union (1707) aimed to address both political and economic concerns in Scotland.
Mark Scheme:
Award up to 6 marks.
1–2 marks: Basic description with limited detail (e.g. simply stating that Scotland joined with England politically and gained economic benefits).
3–4 marks: Clear explanation of at least one political and one economic term, with some detail of how these addressed concerns.
5–6 marks: Developed explanation covering multiple terms, explicitly linking to both political and economic issues faced by Scotland.
Indicative content (credit relevant examples):
Political terms: Scottish Parliament abolished; Scotland gained representation in Westminster (45 MPs, 16 peers). This addressed concerns over succession and potential instability.
Economic terms: Access to English overseas markets and colonial trade; financial compensation (“Equivalent”) to cover Darien losses. These addressed Scotland’s economic weakness and the collapse of the Darien Scheme.
Religious/legal safeguards can be credited if linked to political reassurance (e.g. protection of Presbyterian Church reducing fears of English interference).
