Fact Book: The Act of Union

Another reason for the Jacobite rising of 1745 was a law called the Act of Union. The Act was signed in 1707 and joined England and Scotland together to make Great Britain. Before then Scotland and England had always been different countries. What did this mean?

• For many years Scotland and England had shared the same rulers but remained as separate countries
• The Act of Union was planned to make the two countries a lot closer
• Many Scottish people were unhappy with this idea. They thought England was bullying Scotland!
• When the Scottish Parliament eventually signed the Act there were riots in the streets of Scotland!
• Many Scots became Jacobites because they thought the Stuarts would get rid of the Union and make Scotland a separate country again
• Some people did like the Act though. Scotland became a richer country and many people made huge amounts of money!

There were Jacobites who did not even care if the Stuarts got their throne back as long as Scotland became a separate country again.