Britain in the 18th century Part I

Between 1689 and 1697, British soldiers joined a European alliance against French expansionism. At the same time, extensive fighting took place in Scotland and Ireland between the supporters of King William III and the deposed James II.
James's supporters were commonly known as Jacobites, a title derived from the Latin version of his name.
The fighting that broke out in these countries can be viewed as part of the Nine Years War (1689-97). This was a wider European conflict in which the Holy Roman Empire, the Dutch Republic, England, Spain, Savoy, Sweden and a number of German states allied themselves against France and the expansionist ambitions of its ruler, King Louis XIV.

John Churchill, 1st duke of Marlborough is one of England’s greatest generals, who led British and allied armies to important victories over Louis XIV of France.
Louis XIV had also annoyed King William III of England by recognising the son of the deposed James II as the nation’s rightful king. The French had also cut English and Dutch access to the lucrative Spanish trade.
The campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough and his allies in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-13) stopped France dominating Europe. They also earned the British Army an enduring reputation for courage and discipline on the battlefield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoyeET_F6i0&t=381s

Anne Stuart was the reigning queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1702 to 1714 AD. She was a controversial queen, as she was considered to be unfit for the throne. She also suffered from personal and health issues that had the ministers in her court taking almost all the decisions. Anne was born to James II, the duke of York, and his wife, Anne Hyde.
King Charles II of Great Britain died in 1686, giving the throne to Anne’s father, who ascended to the throne as King James II. Following James’s death, the throne went to Anne’s older sister, Mary, and her husband, Prince William of Orange.
Once they died, Anne ascended to the throne and ruled the country with her husband, George.
Anne was considered a weak queen since the beginning of her reign. People criticized her lack of intellect and physical fitness.
Anne died on August 1, 1714. She got pregnant 17 times but was unable to give an apt successor to the throne of Britain. William, one of the children she gave birth to, was the only child who lived. However, he, too, died at the age of 11.

The Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed in 1706 and 1707 by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts joined the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into a single Kingdom of Great Britain.
A Treaty of Union was negotiated between the two countries, which led to the drawing up of the Bills which became the 1706/1707 Acts. The Acts went into effect on May 1, 1707. On this date, the Scottish Parliament and the English Parliament merged to form the Parliament of Great Britain, based in the Palace of Westminster in London, the former home of the English Parliament. These Acts are referred to as the Union of the Parliaments.

George I of Great Britain was a British monarch who ruled Britain and Ireland in the early 18th century. He also ruled the German regions of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, part of the Roman Empire in Germany. George was born in Hanover, into the family of the duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
He got the chance to acquire the throne of England when the queen of Great Britain, Anne, passed away. He thus ascended to the throne and became the first monarch of the ‘House of Hanover.’
However, during his reign, the country was going through a major shift toward modernism and the monarch system was about to be replaced by a cabinet parliament. Toward the end of his reign, Britain came under the rule of its first de-facto prime minister, Robert Walpole. George passed away on June 11, 1727, and became the last British monarch to be buried outside Britain. He rests in his grave in his native region of Hanover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxsseeKMLIw&t=121s

George II was the King of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1727 to October 1760. He was also the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire during the period of his reign. Born in in Hanover, northern Germany, he was the last British monarch to be born outside of Great Britain. He was the elder one of the two children of King George I of Great Britain and Sophia Dorothea of Celle.
After King George I passed away in 1727, George was crowned as the next king at Westminster Abbey. Despite being the king, he had little control over British domestic policy, as it was controlled by the Parliament of Great Britain.
Years later, he led the Battle of Dettingen, which took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, becoming the last British monarch to ever lead an army to battle. He lived till the age of almost 77, longer than many of his English predecessors, and died on 25 October 1760.
He was buried in Westminster Abbey, becoming the last monarch to be buried there. He was succeeded by his grandson, King George III.

George William Frederick, more commonly known as George III, was one of the most famous kings of the Great Britain. He was known, during and after his reign, for his benevolent, compassionate, and docile nature. He was more learned than his predecessors, and a patron of advancements in science, agriculture, and technology. He had a penchant for collecting objects pertaining to science and mathematics, which are now displayed at London's 'Science Museum.' He earned the nickname ‘Farmer George’ because of the attention he gave to ordinary matters rather than concentrating on political affairs.
The name stuck with him when people realized the value of his humility and simplicity, as compared to his pompous son who succeeded him. Along with Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, he gained popularity amongst his subjects. As a king, he avoided speaking ill to anyone, and is believed to have taken decisions, often considered wrong, to defend his chosen Parliament, rather than establishing his own control. Despite mixed opinions about this king, it is a fact that he is still revered by many across the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNBPUGYBE8c

In 1775, political and economic concerns led the inhabitants of Britain’s 13 American colonies to rebel in the War of Independence (1775-83). Although the conflict led to the loss of Britain’s American territories, not everyone supported the rising and it divided families and communities across North America.

Boston Tea Party
In December 1773, the colonists dumped a cargo of British tea into Boston harbour in protest at the Crown's attempt at taxation. In response, the government introduced a series of measures known as 'Intolerable Acts', which closed the port of Boston and put Massachusetts under military rule.

Previously, the colonies had been allowed to develop with little interference. Now, London was attempting to tighten its political control. Many colonists were convinced that their economic prosperity and liberty were at stake. As the dispute continued, they gradually took over the local militias and started arming and drilling.