Timeline of British history (1700–1799)

This timeline outlines key events in British history from 1700 to 1799. This period encompasses significant political, social, economic, and military developments, shaping Great Britain's rise to global prominence.

1700-1710:

• 1701: Act of Settlement secures Protestant succession to the English throne through the House of Hanover.
• 1702: Death of William III; Anne becomes Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
• 1702-1713: War of the Spanish Succession; Britain gains territory and influence.
• 1707: Acts of Union unite England and Scotland, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Parliament of Great Britain is established in London.

1710-1720:

• 1714: Death of Queen Anne; George I of the House of Hanover ascends to the throne.
• 1715: Jacobite rising (the "Fifteen") attempts to restore the Stuart dynasty. It is suppressed.
• 1720: South Sea Bubble bursts, causing financial crisis.

1720-1730:

• 1721-1742: Robert Walpole serves as First Lord of the Treasury, generally considered the first Prime Minister.
• 1727: Death of George I; George II becomes King.

1730-1740:

• Growth of Methodism under John Wesley.
• Growing tensions with Spain over trade and colonial possessions.

1740-1750:

• 1739-1748: War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain.
• 1740-1748: Involvement in the War of the Austrian Succession.
• 1745: Jacobite rising (the "Forty-Five") led by Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie").
• 1746: Battle of Culloden; Jacobite rebellion decisively crushed.

1750-1760:

• Continued rise of British trade and colonial power.
• 1756-1763: Seven Years' War; Britain gains significant territories in North America and India.

1760-1770:

• 1760: Death of George II; George III becomes King.
• Rising tensions with American colonies over taxation and representation.
• 1765: Stamp Act imposed on American colonies.
• 1767: Townshend Acts further increase tensions with American colonies.

1770-1780:

• 1770: Boston Massacre.
• 1773: Boston Tea Party.
• 1775-1783: American Revolutionary War.
• 1776: American Declaration of Independence.

1780-1790:

• Continued fighting in the American Revolutionary War.
• Growing political instability in Britain.
• 1783: Treaty of Paris recognizes American independence.
• William Pitt the Younger becomes Prime Minister.
• Beginning of the Industrial Revolution gains momentum.

1790-1799:

• 1789: French Revolution begins.
• Increasing radicalism and political unrest in Britain, partly inspired by the French Revolution.
• 1793-1802: War of the First Coalition against Revolutionary France.
• Naval victories against the French.
• Growing awareness of the abolitionist movement.
• 1798: Irish Rebellion.
• 1799: Income tax introduced in Britain to finance the war against France.