George I came to the British throne in 1714 as a ruler experienced in the politics of Hanover and the Holy Roman Empire. The Act of Settlement directed the succession toward the Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover, his mother. Her death shortly before Queen Anne's meant that the crown passed to him. His position therefore rested on a settlement excluding closer Catholic claimants and made the security of that settlement a central concern.

The Jacobite rising of 1715 challenged the new dynasty but failed to restore the Stuarts. George increasingly relied on Whig politicians, while many Tories remained suspect because of their associations with the excluded line. The management of Parliament, appointments and finance strengthened the ministers able to maintain a dependable majority. His reign helped establish a durable connection between the Hanoverian monarchy and Whig government.

He continued to take a close interest in Hanover and European affairs, travelling to his German territories and working through ministers and councils during absences from Britain. The union of crowns did not merge the two states, whose interests could differ. His limited English and declining attendance at cabinet meetings encouraged ministers to coordinate business, but he retained influence over appointments and foreign policy. The later development of cabinet government should not be reduced to a story of a king who took no interest in ruling.

A bitter quarrel with his son, the future George II, created a rival focus for political opposition. The South Sea Bubble's collapse in 1720 then damaged confidence in government and exposed connections between finance and public office. Robert Walpole emerged from the crisis as the leading minister, combining royal support with parliamentary management. George died in 1727 during a journey to Hanover, leaving his son an established dynasty rather than an uncontested political system. His reign strengthened government through ministers.