18th century British history timeline By guan3782002 1701 Act of Settlement passed, ensuring a Protestant succession to the English throne. Period: 1702 to 1714 Reign of Queen Anne. Last of the Stuart monarchs. 1704 Battle of Blenheim, a major victory for the British during the War of the Spanish Succession. 1715 The Jacobite Rebellion (also known as the "First Jacobite Rebellion") in an attempt to restore James Francis Edward Stuart to the throne. 1721 Robert Walpole becomes the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, serving until 1742. 1745 Second Jacobite Rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). Period: 1756 to 1763 Seven Years' War, where Britain fights against France for global supremacy. Britain emerges as a leading colonial power. 1765 Stamp Act passed by the British Parliament, imposing taxes on American colonies, sparking unrest. Period: 1775 to 1783 American War of Independence. The Thirteen Colonies declare independence from Britain. 1788 George III suffers from a severe mental illness, leading to the Regency Crisis. 1793 Britain declares war on Revolutionary France, marking the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars. 1798 Battle of the Nile, a significant naval victory for Britain against France, led by Admiral Horatio Nelson.