Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1707 to 1800. It was formed when the Kingdom of England, which included Wales, and the Kingdom of Scotland joined together. This happened because of an agreement called the Treaty of Union in 1706 and the Acts of Union 1707.

Before joining, England and Scotland shared the same king since 1603. That king was James VI of Scotland, who also became King of England and King of Ireland. When Queen Anne ruled from 1702 to 1714, people worried about who would be the next ruler.

Even though England and Scotland joined, they kept their own laws, schools, and churches. The new country had one parliament called the Parliament of Great Britain. This parliament had three parts: the House of Lords, the House of Commons, and the king or queen (the Crown). Scotland kept its own courts and universities.

The Kingdom of Great Britain had many important rulers. Queen Anne was the first. After her, the rulers were from the House of Hanover: George I, George II, and George III. In 1801, Great Britain joined with the Kingdom of Ireland to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.