Examining the events leading to the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England in 1707 and its consequences, and weighing the considerations on the basis of this for or against Scottish independence.
The Treaty of Union might no longer be entirely intact, but repeals of some of its provisions have been made by Scottish and English MPs at Westminster, arguably representing the sovereign parliaments who originally made the Treaty, for the progressive advancement of Scotland. Without these repeals and changes, Scots would still be represented by only 45 MPs in the Commons and 16 of her peers in the Lords; Scots would not have been “given” the right to vote, because the Scottish Parliament passed as one of its last laws the method by which Scots MPs were to be sent to Westminster; Scots would still be subject to their feudal lords, to their whims over their lives and deaths; would still be subject to laws punishing minor crimes with death, and punishing blasphemy and adultery with disproportionate penalties.
However, the framers of the Treaty knew that times change and instead guaranteed certain things of distinctly Scottish character, so that, in addition to Scotland advancing progressively through the centuries, we also have retained our own unique identity and language while also carving out further unique characteristics in the context of the Union. And all this, achieved through negotiation and free vote, albeit with sufficient bribery to ensure the Treaty did not fail, not by conquest or military force; some might argue that the motives to ultimately save Scotland from bankruptcy and poverty (which may well have made Scotland extinct altogether in time) and to keep her alive, and the fact that it was not brought about by conquest cancel out the treason of the old Scots MPs who did, in fact, buy and sell Scotland for English gold.