The Treaty of Union was an agreement signed in 1706 and ratified in 1707 that united the kingdoms of England and Scotland into a single entity known as Great Britain. This treaty aimed to create political stability and economic cooperation between the two nations, addressing issues such as trade and governance. The treaty established a new parliament for Great Britain in Westminster, which replaced the separate parliaments of England and Scotland. It also included provisions for the protection of Scottish laws and the Presbyterian church, ensuring that Scotland retained some of its distinct cultural and legal identity within the new union.