Act of Union
Definition
The Act of Union was a pair of Parliamentary acts passed in 1707 by the Parliaments of England and Scotland to put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union, agreed on 22 July 1706. This led to the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Analogy
Think about two popular sports teams from different cities deciding to merge together and form one super team. They would need an agreement (like the Act) that outlines how they will operate as a single entity.
Related terms
Treaty of Union: A treaty that resulted in an agreement between Scotland and England to unite their parliaments, thereby forming a new kingdom known as Great Britain.
Kingdom of Great Britain: The unified sovereign state formed by the union between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England.
Parliamentary Sovereignty: A concept in UK constitutional law which states that Parliament is supreme to all other governmental bodies, including executive or judicial bodies.
"Act of Union" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.