A major interpretation of the 1707 Act of Union and the making of the United Kingdom.

The three kingdoms or 'four nations' which became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 have distinct, but not separate, histories. Sensitive questions of religion, local loyalty, and allegiance to the state, shaped politics within and between the four nations - and still give an edge to politics in parts of modern Britain. In 1660, the restoration of Charles II to all three of his kingdoms, was followed by an attempt to impose religious uniformity across his kingdoms. It failed. The make-up of the British Isles was too diverse. Tories, Jacobites, radicals and Whigs each had strong links to a Church or religious faction. Politics and religion could intermingle dangerously. Fear of popery was a major cause of the revolution of 1688, and at the beginning of the eighteenth century Presbyterians led Scottish opposition to a union until they were recognised as an established church. At the end of the century the architects of the act of union with Ireland hoped, finally, to resolve the 'Catholic Question', but (as it does today) constitutional change brought issues of national identity to the fore. The eighteenth century witnessed the triumph of unionism on the larger island, and the rise of nationalism and separatism across the Irish sea. "The Making of the United Kingdom" seeks to explain that crucial divergence, and gives an incisive account of the forging of Britishness the sense of a new nation. Jim Smyth is Professor of History, University of Notre Dame."

A group of Britain's most prestigious historians assemble to explore the formation of the UK, its history and its identity. Traditional regional and chronological frontiers are broken down as mediev- alists, modernists and early modernists debate.

Focusing on the history of the UK, this is one of a series, modular in structure, which offers teachers the flexibility to design their own scheme of work at Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum. A teacher's assessment and resource pack, including photocopiable worksheets, is also available.

This account of artisan and working-class society in its formative years, 1780 to 1832, adds an important dimension to our understanding of the nineteenth century. E.P. Thompson shows how the working class took part in its own making and re-creates the whole life experience of people who suffered loss of status and freedom, who underwent degradation and who yet created a culture and political consciousness of great vitality.

The series ensures comprehensive coverage coverage of the Key Stage 3 Curriculum requirements through top quality, carefully researched materials. The books are particularly suitable for pupils of both average and higher ability, and are written by practising teachers, using activities based on current Key Stage 3 teaching practice. They are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow format. Selected topics can be explored in greater detail using Outline Studies (with narrative text) and Depth Studies (with a range of sources). The series provides complete support for pupils and teachers alike with each full-colour Pupils' Book supported by a fully integrated Teachers' Resource Guide. Teachers will save time in lesson preparation, as sections of the book are suitable for photocopying.