Part of the brithish history

1536

An Act of Parliament ratified the conquest of Wales by England. It was unilateral, but

provided for a Welsh representation in Parliament.

1603

Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland. The heir to the throne of England, after the

death of Elizabeth I, was James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England.

1707

Act of Union with Scotland. The English and the Scottish Parliaments agreed to merge.

Scotland kept its official religion, Presbyterianism, its legal system, its educational system.

1800

Act of Union with Ireland. Since the Reformation, English Protestants and Scottish

Presbyterians had settled in Ireland, which, although a theoretically independent country, had

become a semi-colony, with frequent revolts of the Catholic indigenous population. With the

Act of Union, to which the Irish Parliament dominated by Protestants consented, it became

part of the United Kingdom, the Dublin Parliament disappeared, and seats were provided for

Irish MPs in Westminster (i.e. in the British Parliament).

1922

Creation of the Irish free state which had the status of a dominion with an independent

parliament, but the head of state remained the English monarch. However, the six northern

counties of Ulster remained in the United Kingdom, with a regional Parliament, the Stormont,

to which a number of powers were devolved. Ulster was also" represented at the Westminster

Parliament.

1949

The Irish free state rejects the monarchy and becomes a republic.

1972

After the beginning of 'the troubles', the Stormont which was dominated by Protestants and

accused of unfairness by Catholics was suspended by the British government. Direct rule from

London was established. Since then, British troops have been stationed in Ulster, and terrorism

from both sides has claimed many victims.

1978-1979

The British government, alarmed by the electoral success of the nationalist parties in Wales

and Scotland in 1974, proposed a greater amount of devolution (i.e. internal autonomy) to

those two parts of the UK. The proposal included a Welsh and a Scottish Assembly

(Scotland Act and Wales Act, 1978). These proposals were rejected by the Welsh

population and the Scottish population in a referendum

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