1.The Georges

Anne Stuart（1665-1714）

The Glorious Revolution of 1688established the authority of the English middle class over the crown.The 18th century saw the gradual and eventually complete ascendancy of the middle class in the life of nation，coincidentally with the development of commerce and industry.The era also witnessed the union of Scotland with England into the nation of Great Britain.Since 1603，England and Scotland had been two kingdoms，each with a Parliament and government，and ruled by the same king.When the Act of Union of 1707 was passed during Anne’s¹ reign（1702-1714），the two kingdoms were united，and both sent MPs² to the same Parliament at Westminster.From this time onwards，it became increasingly common to refer to the united kingdom of England and Scotland as Great Britain，and to their people as the British.

The accession of the first Hanoverian King，GeorgeⅠ（reigned 1714-1727），however，introduced a period of peaceful consolidation.GeorgeⅠ，the great-grandson of James Ⅰ，the elector of Hanover³，was a foreigner who spent much time in Hanover during his reign.He chose Sir Robert Walpole as his chief minister and left Walpole a freer hand than any earlier minister had been allowed.This created the cabinet system of government.Walpole was usually considered as the first prime minister in English history.

The first two Hanoverians，GeorgeⅠandⅡ，made little effort to understand the country，and were more or less strangers to its language.During their reigns the Whig Party was able to rule England for a period of thirty years without a rival，and did all it could to further the interests of the middle class.The mid-18th century found the nation in new wars，the most important of which was the Seven Years’War（1756-1763）.In North America this war was known as the French and Indian War，which began as the result of a dispute over the possession of the Ohio Valley.The importance of the war for Britain was that it left her predominant in North Armerica and in India，and thereafter Britain became the world’s leading colonial power.

When George Ⅲcame to the throne in 1760，Britain had unrivaled prestige in Europe，and empires in America and India.George Ⅲfavored personal rule and was not inclined to allow the country to be run by his ministers.He took an active part in politics and was largely responsible for the loss of the American colonies.He was the last king to attempt recapturing the royal power.He went mad in 1811，and then his son，later GeorgeⅣ，acted as Regent.