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Acts of Union 1800

1800

The acts that merged Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom under George III, whose refusal of Catholic emancipation led to his minister Pitt's resignation.

As Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Cornwallis worked to secure passage of this Act, though he failed to win Catholic emancipation alongside it.

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First page of the Union with Ireland Act 1800 as printed in legislation.gov.uk format. Shows the royal coat of arms, title, chapter citation, preamble text and annotations about modifications.
Union with Ireland Act 1800, 2 July 1800.

About this source

What it is

These are parallel acts passed in 1800 by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland, under George III, uniting the two kingdoms into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801.

Why it matters

The union followed years of unrest in Ireland, including a 1798 rebellion, and was meant to ease tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Catholic emancipation had been expected to come alongside the union, but George III's personal refusal to accept it led to the resignation of his prime minister, William Pitt, in 1801, showing how much power the King still held over his ministers.

Look closer

  • Why might a king's personal religious views affect a whole country's laws?
  • What does it tell you that a promise made during negotiations was later broken?
  • Whose interests does this document seem to prioritize, and whose are left out?

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Treaty of Amiens

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