Act of Settlement
Definition
The Act of Settlement is a law passed by English Parliament in 1701 to settle the succession to the English and Irish crowns on Protestants only.
Analogy
Think of it as a family will that dictates who inherits the family business, but in this case, the "business" is ruling England and Ireland, and only Protestant relatives are eligible.
Related terms
Line of Succession: The order in which members from royal family inherit throne.
Religious Discrimination: Unfair treatment based on religious beliefs. In this case, Catholics were discriminated against as they were excluded from succession.
Stuart Dynasty: The ruling dynasty during this period; their Catholic belief led to controversies leading up to Act of Settlement.
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