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Primary sourceDocument1706-1707

Treaty of Union

1706-1707

The 1706-07 treaty uniting England and Scotland into Great Britain, which secured the Hanoverian succession that brought George I to the throne.

This treaty secured the Hanoverian succession in Scotland, the legal path by which George I became king.

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Manuscript page of the Articles of Union with a decorative calligraphic heading reading 'Articles of Union' and a long handwritten text in ornate script. A red wax seal with a thistle decoration sits at the bottom. A circular library stamp is visible on the left margin.
Articles of Union, 1706, signed and sealed by English and Scottish Commissioners.

About this source

What it is

The Treaty of Union was agreed in 1706 by commissioners for England and Scotland, and passed into law by the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England in 1707. It created the single Kingdom of Great Britain. The surviving manuscript is signed and sealed by the commissioners, with English signatures on one side and Scottish on the other.

Why it matters

The treaty tied Scotland's succession to the Protestant Hanoverian line laid down by the Act of Settlement, which is why George, Elector of Hanover, inherited the British throne in 1714 rather than a Catholic Stuart claimant. It shows how political deals among ministers and monarchs, not popular votes, shaped who would rule.

Look closer

  • Why were separate columns used for English and Scottish signatures?
  • What does the vote count suggest about how divided opinion was in Scotland?
  • Whose voices are missing from this document?

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