Issue 4: The impact of union

Question 1

1: Political impact

Answer 1

• The jacobites gained a lot of support, which resulted in two uprisings- one in 1708 and one in 1715.
• In 1715 over 12% of the scottish population played a part in the jacobite uprising. These numbers outnumbered the government.
• The leader however, general Mar, was indecisive and timid, and wrongfully called a retreat in november 1715, which was one of the many reasons why the uprising failed.

Reasons for the uprising:
1: loyalty to the house of stuart
- Jacobites did not accept william of orange as king and they also believed king george’s private life made him unfit to be king, as he imprisoned his own wife.
2: Discontent with union
- union failed to bring economic prosperity, as tax increases were imposed and the equivalent took 20 years to be payed.
3: Religion
- episcopalians did not support william and mary because of their commitment to kingship, They provided a moral backbone for the jacobites.
- 15 of the 26 highland clans who supported the jacobites were episcopalian.

Question 2

2: Economic impact

Answer 2

Negatives:

• the british parliament showed little interest in scottish economy and between 1727 and 1745, only 9 acts were passed that tackled scottish interests.
• there was dissatisfaction with the equivalent as it took 20 years to be fully payed.
• industries such brewing, east coast fishing, and shoe making were badly affected by union
• people were unhappy about enclosures for stock

Positives:
- grain and meal exports doubled between 1707-1712 and 1717-1722
- Enclosures were built for animals in farms which benefitted production.
- Scots merchants were legally allowed to trade with english tobacco colonies, virginia, maryland, and north carolina.