Oliver Cromwell

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Oliver Cromwell

• Alex Franz
• B1
• E1

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Who was Oliver Cromwell?

• He was known as a Puritan general who led his New
  Model army to defeat the Cavaliers in the English
  Civil War in 1645.

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Childhood

• Born in 1599, he was baptised at St Johns Church
  in Huntingdon, England.
• He grew up in a rich family. He attended local
  school, and he developed intense religious
  beliefs.

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Adult life

• In 1616 Cromwell entered Sidney Sussex College,
  Cambridge. He left the following year after the
  death of his father.
• For the next few years he lived in London. In
  1620 he married Elizabeth Bourchier, the daughter
  of Sir James Bourchier, a wealthy leather
  merchant.

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Adult life (cont.)

• Cromwell then returned to his small estate in
  Huntingdon. There he farmed his land and played a
  small part in local affairs, earning a reputation
  as a champion of the poor.
• During these years Cromwell experienced periods
  of deep depression. After much spiritual torment
  he became convinced that he was the instrument of
  God.

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How Cromwell proved his worth

• At the outbreak of war between the King and
  Parliament in August 1642, He was assigned a
  small army of men, and he demonstrated his
  leadership skills with the small amount of men he
  had.
• In 1644, Cromwells reputation as Parliaments
  most forceful general was made at the battle of
  Marston Moor, where he defeated the cavalry of
  Prince Rupert, the royalists best general.

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Cromwells rule 1653-58

• For a while Cromwell and his Council ruled most
  effectively, sweeping away ancient tribal rule in
  Scotland and Ireland.
• He then united those countries with England
  under one Parliament, which was itself reformed.
• When the Parliament met in 1654, however, it
  soon quarreled with Cromwell over the
  constitution.
• He once more took power into his own hands and
  dissolved Parliament on June 22, 1655.

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Cromwells rule (cont.)

• From Cromwell's rule local government was brought
  under major generals, soldiers whom he could
  trust.
• This made many people angry. Under a new
  constitution and a reestablished Parliament,
  Cromwell took the title Lord Protector.
• This move also reestablished the House of Lords,
  another part of Parliament, and made Cromwell
  king in all but name.

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Legacy of Cromwell

• As a general, he was gifted yet lucky. As a
  statesman, Cromwell had some success but was
  unable to meet many of his goals.
• Perhaps the most remarkable of Cromwell's
  qualities were his seriousness and his
  self-control. Few men have enjoyed such supreme
  power and abused it less.

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English Civil War

• In March 1642 Charles, believing that Parliament
  had gone too far when it issued the Grand
  Remonstrance, moved to arrest John Pym and four
  other leaders. Charles himself entered Parliament
  with solders and a warrant, but Pym and the
  others were gone, having been tipped off in
  advance.
• They fled to London where they were hidden by
  Puritan loyalists, who dominated the city
  government. The King demanded the return of Pym,
  but the citizens refused. London, at least, was
  in rebellion.

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English Civil War (cont.)

• That summer Parliament, fearing military action,
  tried to seize control of the army by issuing
  orders for soldiers to report to Parliamentary,
  rather than royal, representatives.
• The King countered by ordering the bill ignored
  and raised his own army in August. Some turned
  out for the King, some for Parliament, and the
  war was on.

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Battle of Edgehill, Oct. 1643

• This was the first real battle between the King
  and Parliament.
• The battle was inconclusive, but it showed that
  the Parliament was not strong enough to defeat
  the King.

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The New Model Army

• Parliament decided that they want a negotiated
  settlement, not the death of their king.
• In 1644, Parliament passed Self-Denying Ordinance
  to get soldiers out of Parliament, because the
  Parliament army was getting officered by MPs.

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The Final Victory

• Roundheads and the Cavaliers met again at Naseby,
  June 14, 1645.
• Cromwell was victorious with his cavalry charge,
  marking the real victory for Parliament.
• The English King was then captured, and
  Parliament is deciding what to do with him.

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Effects of the war

• Led to the trial and execution of King Charles I
• Exile of Charles II
• Replacement of English monarchy with first, the
  Commonwealth of England, and then with a
  Protectorate under Cromwells rule.

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Questions

• Where did Cromwell defeat Prince Rupert?
• In 1643, which inconclusive battle showed that
  Parliament could not yet defeat the Kings
  forces?
• T/F When Cromwell was named King, he gained the
  power of the king as well.

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Questions (cont.)

• What happened at Naseby on June 14, 1645?
• King Charles I was executed as a result of
  ________.