Union and revolution
Union of the Crowns
James VII of Scotland
In 1603, the Union of the Crowns took place - James VI of Scotland became James I of England.
King William and Queen Mary
During the 1600s there were different times when either Scots or English MPs wanted full ‘Union’, but an agreement was never reached.
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 saw King James VII and II replaced by his daughter Mary and her Dutch husband William.
The English Parliament claimed that James had abdicated but the Scots declared that he had lost the throne.
Scotland and England had different opinions of the relationship between monarch and people. This suggested that Union would not happen.
However, attempts by William’s English Government to bring Scotland into a Union led to the eventual Treaty negotiated in 1705.
