Acts of Union 1800 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland |
|---|---|
| Citation | 39 & 40 Geo. 3 c. 67 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 July 1800 |
| Commencement | 1 January 1801 |
| Other legislation | |
| Relates to | Government of Ireland Act 1920 Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922 Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act 1922 Ireland Act 1949 Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 Northern Ireland Act 1998 |
| Status | |
| Republic of Ireland | Repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1983 |
| Northern Ireland | Still in force with amendments |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
Parliament of Ireland
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| Long title | An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland |
|---|---|
| Citation | 40 Geo. 3 c.38 |
| Introduced by | John Toler |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 1 August 1800 |
| Commencement | 1 January 1801 |
| Repealed | 24 November 1962 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act, 1962 |
| Relates to | Government of Ireland Act 1920 Irish Free State Constitution Act 1922 Constitution of Ireland Republic of Ireland Act 1948 |
| Status | |
| Republic of Ireland | Repealed by the Statute Law Revision (Pre-Union Irish Statutes) Act, 1962 |
| Northern Ireland | Still in force with amendments |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Acts of Union 1800 were two important laws passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland. These laws joined the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one new country. This new country was called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Before these Acts, Great Britain and Ireland shared the same king but had separate governments. The Acts of Union changed this, making them one single country. These new laws started on January 1, 1801. The first meeting of the new, combined Parliament of the United Kingdom happened on January 22, 1801.
Today, parts of these Acts are still in force in the United Kingdom. However, they have been completely cancelled in the Republic of Ireland.
Contents
What were the Acts of Union?
Two separate laws were passed in 1800, both with the same long name: An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.
- The law passed by the British Parliament is officially called the Union with Ireland Act 1800.
- The law passed by the Irish Parliament is called the Act of Union (Ireland) 1800.
Why did the Union happen?
Ireland's past with England
Before 1800, Ireland had been closely linked to England for a long time. Since 1541, the King of England was also the King of Ireland. Later, in 1603, England, Scotland, and Ireland all shared the same king. This is called a personal union.
In 1707, England and Scotland joined to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Irish Parliament, which was mostly made up of Protestants, was not fully independent. It had to follow rules set by the British Parliament. However, in 1782, Ireland gained more control over its own laws.
Problems in Ireland
At this time, only a small group of people, mainly wealthy Protestants (known as the Protestant Ascendancy), had real power in Ireland. Most Irish people were Roman Catholics and had very few rights. This unfair situation led to a major uprising in 1798. During this rebellion, some Irish people wanted full independence from Great Britain. The rebellion was put down with a lot of violence.
The British government believed that joining the two countries would help prevent future rebellions. They also worried that if Ireland became more independent, it might become an ally of France, which was an enemy of Britain at the time.
Catholic rights
Another reason for the Union was the discussion about allowing Catholics more rights. Many British leaders feared that if Ireland remained separate and gave Catholics more power, the Irish government might change a lot. By joining the two countries, they hoped to control this change.
| Name | Flag | Population |
Population (%) |
Area (km2) |
Area (%) |
Pop. density (per km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Great Britain | .svg){kind=small} |
10,500,000 | 65% | 230,977 | 73% | 45.46 |
| Kingdom of Ireland |  |
5,500,000 | 35% | 84,421 | 27% | 65.15 |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |  |
16,000,000 | 100% | 315,093 | 100% | 50.78 |
How the Acts were passed
Both the British and Irish Parliaments had to agree to the Acts. The Irish Parliament had only recently gained more independence in 1782. Many Irish politicians, like Henry Grattan, wanted to keep this independence. Because of this, a first attempt to pass the Union in 1799 was rejected.
Even though most Irish people were Catholic, only Protestants were allowed to be members of the Irish Parliament. However, since 1793, Catholics who owned or rented enough property could vote. Many wealthy Catholics supported the Union. They hoped it would lead to them gaining full rights, including the right to become Members of Parliament (MPs). This would eventually happen in 1829.
Britain's leaders were worried after the French Revolution in 1789 and the Irish Rebellion of 1798. They feared that a separate Irish Parliament, especially one with more Catholic members, might break away and side with France. These concerns made Britain push for the two kingdoms and their parliaments to merge.
The final vote in the Irish Parliament was very close. Some reports from that time suggest that some votes were gained by offering titles and honours to politicians. The first vote failed, but the second vote in 1800 passed.
What the Acts included
The Acts of Union were two laws that worked together:
- The Union with Ireland Act 1800 from the British Parliament.
- The Act of Union (Ireland) 1800 from the Irish Parliament.
These laws were passed in July and August 1800 and became active on January 1, 1801. They confirmed eight main points that both parliaments had agreed on:
- Articles I–IV: Political Union
- These articles created a single, united parliament for the new United Kingdom.
- In the House of Lords, some Irish bishops and 28 Irish nobles (called representative peers) joined the existing British members.
- The House of Commons included its existing British members and 100 new members from Ireland.
- Article V: Church Union
- This article joined the Church of England and the Church of Ireland into one "Protestant Episcopal Church."
- It also confirmed that the Church of Scotland would remain separate.
- Article VI: Trade and Customs
- This created a customs union, meaning goods could move between Great Britain and Ireland more freely.
- However, some taxes on goods traded between the two countries remained for 10 years.
- Article VII: Financial Contribution
- Ireland had to pay two-seventeenths (about 12%) of the United Kingdom's total spending. This amount was based on Ireland's trade compared to Britain's.
- Article VIII: Legal System
- This article made the legal and court systems of the two countries more formal and united.
Many Irish Catholics hoped that the Union would lead to Catholic emancipation. This meant they would finally be allowed to become MPs in the new United Kingdom Parliament. However, King George III did not agree to this, saying it would go against his promise when he became king. So, Catholics did not get these rights until the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.
The separate Irish Army was also merged into the larger British Army.
The first parliament
When the first Parliament of the United Kingdom met, new elections were not held everywhere. All the members from the last British House of Commons automatically became members of the new House. From Ireland, 100 members were chosen from the last Irish House of Commons. These included two members from each of the 32 counties and the two largest towns. The other 84 Irish towns that used to have MPs lost their right to send members to Parliament. The people who owned these towns were paid money for this change.
Flags
.svg)
prior to the union with Ireland
incorporating the Irish Saint Patrick's Saltire
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, was changed because of the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1800. This flag is still the flag of the United Kingdom today. It combines the St George's Cross (representing England and Wales) and the St Andrew's Saltire (representing Scotland). The St Patrick's Saltire was added to represent Ireland (it now represents Northern Ireland). At the same time, the old French lily symbol (fleur-de-lis) was removed from the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, as Britain no longer claimed the French throne.
See also
In Spanish: Acta de Unión (1800) para niños
