Act of Security 1704 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | Act for the Security of the Kingdom. |
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Quick facts for kids Other legislation |
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| Repealed by | Repeal of Certain Scotch Acts 1707 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Act of Security 1704 was an important law passed by the Parliament of Scotland. It was Scotland's answer to a law made by the Parliament of England called the Act of Settlement 1701. Both laws were about who would become the next ruler after Queen Anne.
Contents
Why Was This Act Needed?
Queen Anne was the ruler of both England and Scotland. Sadly, her last child, William, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1700. This meant there was no direct heir to the throne. Both parliaments needed to find a new Protestant person to take over.
The English Parliament decided that Sophia of Hanover would be the next in line. She was the granddaughter of King James VI and I. But England made this decision without asking the Scottish Parliament first. This made Scotland unhappy.
Scotland's Response
In 1703, the Scottish Parliament tried to pass a new law. This law said that if Queen Anne died without children, the Scottish Parliament would choose a Protestant successor. This person would have to be a descendant of the Scottish kings.
However, Scotland would not choose the same person as England unless certain things happened. These included economic, political, and religious agreements. The King's representative in Scotland, the Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, refused to approve this bill. This approval is called royal assent.
How the Bill Became Law
The next year, in 1704, the Scottish Parliament tried again. They refused to raise taxes for the Queen. They also threatened to take Scottish soldiers out of the army fighting in the War of the Spanish Succession. This army was led by the Duke of Marlborough.
Because of this pressure, the Scottish Parliament finally got the royal assent. The bill then became the Act of Security.
England's Reaction and the Union
The English Parliament was not happy about the Act of Security. In response, they passed their own law called the Alien Act 1705. This Act threatened to stop trade and free movement between England and Scotland.
England said these threats would continue unless Scotland either cancelled the Act of Security or agreed to join with England. This led to serious talks between the two countries.
The result of these talks was the Act of Union 1707. This Act joined England and Scotland together to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. This happened in 1707, about 100 years after the Union of the Crowns (when England and Scotland first shared a monarch).
The Act of Security was later officially cancelled. This happened when the Parliament of Great Britain passed a law called the Repeal of Certain Scotch Acts 1707.
See also
