2nd Parliament of Queen Anne facts for kids
The 2nd Parliament of Queen Anne was a special meeting of important lawmakers in England. It was called by Queen Anne on May 2, 1705. This Parliament started its work on July 14, 1705.
At the time, there were two main political groups: the Tories and the Whigs. In this Parliament, there were 260 Tories and 233 Whigs, plus 20 other members. Even though the numbers looked different, the two main groups were almost equal in power. About 151 of the members were new and had never been in Parliament before. John Smith, who represented the area of Andover, was chosen to be the Speaker. The Speaker is like the leader of the debates in the House of Commons.
What Was This Parliament?
A Parliament is a group of people chosen to make laws for a country. In Queen Anne's time, the Parliament helped the Queen govern England. This particular Parliament played a very important role in history.
Big Changes: Union with Scotland
During its second meeting, from December 1706 to April 1707, a very important law was prepared. This law was called the Union with Scotland Act 1706. It was a big step towards joining England and Scotland into one country. Queen Anne officially approved this law on March 6, 1707. This happened during the Parliament's third meeting.
The Parliament Becomes British
After the third meeting ended on April 29, 1707, Queen Anne made a special announcement. She declared that this Parliament would now be known as the ‘First Parliament of Great Britain’. This was because England and Scotland were now united.
On June 5, Queen Anne made another announcement. She named the Scottish members who would join the English members. There were 16 Scottish noblemen (called peers) and 45 other Scottish representatives. They would join their English partners in the new British Parliament. Queen Anne decided that the First Parliament of Great Britain would meet on October 23, 1707. The details of what happened next are described under the First Parliament of Great Britain article.
