George I of Great Britain

This article is about George I of Great Britain. For other uses, see King George.

George I (George Ludwig; 1660 – 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from his ascendancy on 1 August 1714 until his death. He was also the ruler of the state of Hanover, in modern-day Germany, from 1698 until his death.

Biography

George succeeded his second cousin Anne as King of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714.

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 Peace 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 Woodes Rogers the governor of the Bahamas in 1718, sending him back to Nassau to offer a royal pardon to the pirates there, giving them clemency and freedom as an alternative to execution. While Rogers' quest to rid the West Indies of pirates was largely successful, his performance as governor was considered lackluster, so 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.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Pirates (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Dead Men's Gold (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – Caribbean Sea, 1713 CE (mentioned only)
• Echoes of History (indirect mention only)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (indirect mention only)