The Two Unions : Ireland, Scotland, and the Survival of the United Kingdom, 1707-2007

"Overview: Much has been written about the decline of the United Kingdom. The Two Unions looks instead at the lengthy survival of the Union, examining the institutions, structures, and individuals that have contributed to its longevity. In order to understand its survival, the author, one of the foremost historians of modern Ireland and of the British-Irish relationship, sustains a comparison between the Irish and Scots Unions, their respective origins and subsequent development. He provides a detailed examination of the two interlinked Unionist movements in Scotland and Ireland. Alvin Jackson illuminates not only the history and varied health of the United Kingdom over the past 300 years, but also its present condition and prospects" MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 8 Abbreviations 11 List of maps / illustrations 12 Acknowledgements 13 I. THE MEASURES AND THEIR HISTORIES 18 1. Histories–historiography, comparability, complexity, longevity 20 The nature of union 20 Historiography 25 Comparing the two unions 31 The longevity of union 39 The book 43 2. Prehistories (1290–1690, 1300–1782): Scots and Irish 46 Historians and the two parliaments 46 Uniting and marketing the three crowns 54 The revolution and union 66 Summary: vision and dole 71 3. Contexts (1689–1703, 1782–1798): economic, military, and parliamentary 74 Introduction 74 The Scottish economic ‘crisis’ 75 War 81 Legislative independence 86 The Irish economy in crisis 88 Ireland and the French wars 94 Shared freedom and its implications 100 4. Debates and terms (1705–1707, 1799–1801) 105 The shock of union 105 Scottish ineptitude? 107 Irish venality? 115 The practice of union 124 II. THE SURVIVAL OF THE UNIONS: OVERVIEWS 136 5. The survival of the Scots union, 1707–1997 138 Introduction: the paradox of survival 138 Terms of union (1): faith, money, and empire 144 Terms of union (2): political flexibility and accommodation 153 Official landscapes 163 Monarchy 170 Army, navy, and war 180 The state 189 Conclusion: crises of expectation 195 6. The survival of the Irish union, 1800–1921 199 Introduction: the paradox of survival 200 Historiography: corruption and betrayal 201 Political flexibility and accommodation 205 Transportation 210 Army and navy 213 Monarchy 216 The state, official landscapes, and empire 224 Conclusion: crises of expectation 230 III. THE SURVIVAL OF THE UNIONS: PEOPLE, IDEAS, INSTITUTIONS 234 7. Scottish unionists and the union, 1707–2007: parties, people, and histories 236 Introduction: unionism as normative and patriotic politics 236 Tories 239 Unionists, 1886–1920 248 Liberal Unionists 256 Unionists, 1920–1970 263 Thatcherite unionism 282 Labour’s unionism 285 Conclusion: Whigs and Constructive Unionists 296 8. Irish unionists and the union, 1801–2007: parties, people, and histories 298 Introduction 298 Protestants, patriots, loyalists 300 Tories 308 Whigs 312 Political cultures 317 Unionists 322 ‘Northern’ Irish 333 Conclusion: the two Unionisms 349 IV. REFLECTIONS ON THE UNIONS 352 9. Conclusion: North Britain, West Britain 354 The spiritual union 354 The material union 360 The longevity of union 365 Decline (and fall?) 371 Endnotes 376 Bibliography 426 Index 466 A 466 B 467 C 468 D 470 E 471 F 472 G 472 H 473 I 474 J 475 K 475 L 476 M 476 N 478 O 478 P 478 Q 479 R 479 S 480 T 482 U 483 V 483 W 483 Y 484 Alvin Jackson examines the two Unions - the Anglo-Scots Union of 1707 and the British-Irish of 1801 - comparing their background, birth, and survival. In sustaining a comparison between the Unions, he illuminates the long history and current state of the United Kingdom