Arguments against union with England

In the years preceding the Act of Union in 1707, there was continued debate over whether union with England would be a benefit or a hindrance to Scotland.

Arguments against union:

• Economic: Scots merchants feared that rules would favour England after union. They also feared higher taxes.
• Political: Scots feared that Scotland would just become a province of England and that they would have less of a say.
• Religious: Episcopalians in north-east Scotland feared persecution. Some Presbyterians feared the Scottish church would be forced to become similar to the Church of England.

The signing of the Treaty of Union in 1707 led to protests and mob violence in some places - such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Critics said that union would lead to an increased burden of taxation. This was accepted by union supporters, as in England people paid higher taxes than in Scotland.

One of the results of English domination of a British Parliament might be favour given to English trading interests, such as had occurred over the Darien Scheme.

Town and Burgh Councils voiced concerns about the loss of Royal Burgh rights if union took place, with fears that English merchants would come north and dominate Scottish markets.

Councillors also feared a threat to manufacturing posed by English producers of better-quality and lower-priced goods.

Scottish merchants feared that English interests would dominate all aspects of trade - English currency, weights, and measures would be used in Scotland, and Europe would favour English trade over Scots.

Further, involvement in England's foreign wars could mean the loss of valuable European trading markets.

Landowners feared changes to laws that protected their land and privileges. England did not have the same feudal system when it came to land and ownership, and Scottish landowners feared that this system would be diluted or ended.

Many Scottish MPs feared that their voices would be lost in a British Parliament due to lack of Scottish representation. The Treaty proposals suggested that Scotland would have 45 MPs while England would have 513 and in the House of Lords there would be seats for only 16 Scottish peers.

Fears over the standing of Parliament were raised by those who felt that the Scottish tradition of MPs standing up to the monarch would disappear.

Jacobites also feared union, since it would confirm the Hanoverian succession in Scotland and end the possibility of a return of the Stuarts to the throne.

Some MPs argued that union meant the sacrifice of Scotland’s reputation and prestige in Europe. There was a common belief that Scotland would become “Scotlandshire”, as if it was a part of England.

There were many Scots who opposed union on patriotic grounds, fearing that it would diminish their nation and their identity as Scottish men and women.

Many university professors and lawyers protested at what they saw to be threats to Scottish legal and educational traditions.

Episcopalians, particularly in the North-east, feared that a British monarchy would always favour a Presbyterian Church in Scotland.

Despite union guaranteeing a Presbyterian Scottish Church, some feared future domination by the Church of England, leading to the return of bishops to the Church of Scotland.

Arguments against union:

• Economic: Scots merchants feared that rules would favour England after union. They also feared higher taxes.
• Political: Scots feared that Scotland would just become a province of England and that they would have less of a say.
• Religious: Episcopalians in north-east Scotland feared persecution. Some Presbyterians feared the Scottish church would be forced to become similar to the Church of England.

The signing of the Treaty of Union in 1707 led to protests and mob violence in some places - such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.