George I of Great Britain: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 19:37, 8 August 2014
George I (28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727), sometimes referred to as George Ludwig, was King of Great Britain and Ireland from his ascendancy on 1 August 1714 until his death on 11 June 1727. He was also the ruler of the state of Hanover, in modern-day Germany, from 1698 until his death.
During his reign, the British Empire achieved rapid expansion throughout the West Indies, but encountered resistance from both the Spanish Empire and the region's pirates. In 1715, under the King's direction, England and Spain declared a truce with the Treaty of Utrecht, ending the hostilities between the empires; however, this also created more pirates, as the King's privateers became obsolete.
In response, George personally made the Templar Woodes Rogers the governor of the Bahamas in 1718, sending the governor back to Nassau to offer a royal pardon to the pirates there, giving them clemency and freedom as an alternative to execution. After Rogers' failed attempts to eliminate the pirates, the King recalled him back to England in 1721.
In the last years of his reign, most of his real power was in the hands of his adviser Robert Walpole, the first recognized de facto Prime Minister of Great Britain. George died on a trip to Hanover at the age of 67, with his son George II succeeding him.