Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain

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1707–1801

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Motto
Dieu et mon droit

Anthem
God Save the King

Capital

London

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Monarch

- 1702-1714

Anne

- 1714-1727

George I

- 1727-1760

George II

- 1760-1820

George III

Prime Minister

- 1721-1742

Sir Robert Walpole

- 1742-1743

The Earl of Wilmington

- 1743-1754

Henry Pelham

- 1754-1756

The Duke of Newcastle

- 1756-1757

The Duke of Devonshire

- 1757-1762

The Duke of Newcastle

Legislature

Parliament

- Upper house

House of Lords

- Lower house

House of Commons

History

- May 1, 1707

Act of Union

- January 1, 1801

Act of Union

Area

230,977 km²

Population

- 1801

16,345,646

Density

70.7/km²

Currency

Pound sterling

England

Scotland

United Kingdom

v

Great Britain, also referred to as the Kingdom of Great Britain, was a monarchy established by the Act of Union on May 1, 1707 that politically united the kingdoms of England and Scotland. On January 1, 1801 Great Britain was united with Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

History

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled under one crown beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain. The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom.^[1]

British Empire

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spain Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia (₳|₩) in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next 2 centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home.^[2]