King George I was born in 1660 at Osnabuuck, the eldest son of Ernest Augustus-Duke of Brunswick-Lunchburg and first Elector of Hanover. Because his father was the Elector of Hanover, George was the Electoral Price of the Empire. He was also in the imperial army, who faced battles against the Dutch, the Turks, Nine Years War, and in the War of Spanish Succession. George soon became a talented and experienced General. He went on to command in many wars. He eventually became lector of Hanover in 1698(2001 World Book Encyclopedia).
George I married Sophia Dorothea, heiress of Duchy of Brunswick and Zell, in 1682. He and his cousin Sophia had one boy and one girl before the marriage turned sour.
George was a bad husband with many mistresses while Sophia had many close guy “friends.” In 1694, George divorced Sophia and accused her of adultry. Being a prominent male in Hanover, the future king of England had her put into prison for 32 years, where she died in 1726. George I became King of England in 1714 when his distant cousin Queen Ann died. After Ann’s last surviving child had died in 1700, many people claimed that only her half brother James Francis Edward Stuart, a Roman Catholic and son of King James II, had right to succeed her. In 1701, the parliament passed an Act of Settlement that made sure no Catholic would be Monarch. The act provided that Princess Sophia, a Protestant, would succeed Ann as ruler of England unless Ann had another child.
The Essay on King James I England Shakespeare Henry
This is a paper over King James I of England that I wrote for my honors english class. I received an A on the the assignment. King James I On June 19, 1566 in Theobalds, Hertfordshire, England, Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her only child, a boy whom she named James. James' father was Henry Stewart, also known as Lord Darnley. Darnley was killed in an unexplained explosion at his house when ...
Sophia’s son George, became heir to the throne in August 1714(The Royal Heraldry of England).
King George was 54 years of age when he took the throne. He was said to be undignified without the slightest knowledge of the English language. This prevented him from taking part in cabinet councils. He never bothered to learn the language of his new kingdom, although he already knew Latin, French, and Italian. George also showed no appreciation for the English culture.
Englishmen Samuel Johnson summarized his thoughts on King George by saying, “George I knew nothing and desired to know nothing; do nothing and desired to do nothing,”(Western Civilization Volume II).
Due to George’s little interaction with parliament, it further asserted itself with a new coronation of oath, requiring each monarch to swear to obey parliamentary statutes. It established a mandatory term of office for itself, gained tighter control over the budget and army, and produced a Bill of Rights that guaranteed citizens many liberties. But the biggest effect of his lack of interest was that it allowed the development of the cabinet system of government. Understandably, George proved unpopular in England. He was a shy, rather sour man, who preferred to avoid crowds and royal pageantry. Hanover remained undisquisably his first love. There he showered his mistresses with estates and pensions. In foreign affairs, he was rightly suspected of giving priority to the interests of Hanover.
Fundamentally, George was the right man and the right time. He possessed a quality the Stuart Kings had lacked-steadiness. He knew his friends from his enemies and rewarded them accordingly. Nothing was more essential in defending the new dynasty against treason. He quickly learned to find his ministers among the Whigs, who supported his succession to the throne(Kings and Queens of England and France).
George I’s advisor, Sir Robert Walpole, became the first prime minister in British history and architect of the Cabinet. Walpole didn’t come from a noble family nor was he the oldest child.
His marriage to a rich merchants daughter brought him the independence for a parliamentary career. He helped with the Hanoverian succession and won the confidence of the royal family. He won the backing of George’s parliament by cutting land tax from 20% to 5%. He gained faith of others by restoring order to finances after the “South Seas Bubble.” He also helped with foreign trade, incomes, and jobs. Sir Robert Walpole held power for 21 years and laid the foundations of the modern Parliamentary government(Western Civilization Volume II).
The Essay on George Orwell And The English Language
George Orwell, the author of Politics and the English language believes in the traditional style of the English language and that there is a definite correlation between language and action. Orwell highly believes that proper English can be cured by never using slang and never using a long word where a short one will do. It is the citizens moral responsibility to use the English language with ...
The English government soon became a burden for King George.
The king preferred to live in Hanover. The actions of English politicians upset him and the business of government was left to his ministers. Thus King George spent most of his time in Hanover. The king died on a carriage ride back to Hanover on the night of June 10, 1727. His heirs took the names King George II and King George III, thus the eighteenth-century England is known as Georgian England as well as Hanoverian England. Unmarred by his family and English subjects, George I did his duty as king. His instincts were authoritorian, yet he managed to stifle rebellion without imposing tyranny. Above all, he learned to accommodate himself to system of constitutional rule(The Royal Heraldry of England).
King George I played a central role in the rise of parliamentary government in England. It was because of his behind the scenes leadership that England was able to prosper the way they did. Much credit should be given to Robert Walpole who did many things for the king and for England. The decisions the cabinet made has had long-lasting influence on England and can still be seen in action today..
