Union, Enlightenment and Industry

A Long and Illustrious History · 8 min read

In 1707 the Act of Union created the Kingdom of Great Britain, uniting England, Wales and Scotland. Scotland kept its own legal and education systems and its Presbyterian Church.

Queen Anne had no surviving children, so in 1714 Parliament chose George I, a German, as king. Because he did not speak good English, his ministers became more important. Sir Robert Walpole was the first Prime Minister, from 1721 to 1742.

The Jacobites tried to put the Stuarts back on the throne. In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) landed in Scotland, but his army was defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Later, in the Highland Clearances, many Scottish landlords destroyed small farms to make room for sheep and cattle.

The Enlightenment brought new ideas in politics, philosophy and science, with many leading thinkers in Scotland: Adam Smith (economics), David Hume (human nature) and James Watt (steam power).

The Industrial Revolution was the rapid development of industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. Britain was the first country to industrialise on a large scale. Richard Arkwright developed horse-driven spinning mills and later steam engines. The Bessemer process made it possible to produce steel in large quantities.

Sake Dean Mahomet opened the first curry house in Britain, the Hindoostane Coffee House in London, in 1810. He also introduced “shampooing” (Indian head massage) to Britain.

The slave trade made many people rich. Quakers set up the first formal anti-slavery groups. William Wilberforce, an MP, played a key role. The slave trade was abolished in 1807, and slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1833. Afterwards around 2 million Indian and Chinese workers were employed to replace the freed slaves.

In 1776 13 American colonies declared independence. Britain fought wars with France: Admiral Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 but was killed; the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1801 Ireland was united with Great Britain.

Key facts

• 1707 — Act of Union: Kingdom of Great Britain.
• Sir Robert Walpole — first Prime Minister (1721–42).
• 1746 — Battle of Culloden: Jacobite defeat.
• 1807 — slave trade abolished; 1833 — slavery abolished in the Empire.
• 1805 — Trafalgar (Nelson); 1815 — Waterloo (Wellington).
• 1801 — Act of Union with Ireland: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• Nelson’s Column is in Trafalgar Square; his ship HMS Victory is in Portsmouth.

Important dates

Important people

• Sir Robert Walpole: First Prime Minister.
• Bonnie Prince Charlie: Charles Edward Stuart, Jacobite leader defeated at Culloden.
• Robert Burns: Scottish poet (1759–96), known as “The Bard”.
• Adam Smith: Enlightenment thinker on economics.
• James Watt: Developed steam power.
• Richard Arkwright: Developed efficient factory production in textile mills.
• William Wilberforce: MP who campaigned to end the slave trade.
• Admiral Nelson: Won at Trafalgar in 1805 and died there.
• Duke of Wellington: Defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815; later Prime Minister.
• Sake Dean Mahomet: Opened Britain’s first curry house in 1810.

Memory tips

• Slavery: “1807 trade, 1833 slaves” — the trade ended first, slavery itself later.
• T before W: Trafalgar (1805, sea, Nelson) came before Waterloo (1815, land, Wellington).

Practice questions

Source: Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents (3rd ed.), ch.3: A global power