Who should be in charge_ Parliament or king_

Who should be in charge?
Parliament or king?

Cambridge International Grade 7

Who was Oliver Cromwell?

Key points
● Following the defeat of King Charles I
in the English Civil Wars, and later his
trial and execution, Oliver Cromwell
became ‘Lord Protector’ in 1653.
● Cromwell was a Puritan, a strict
Protestant, and made significant
changes based on his beliefs.
● Following Cromwell’s death, there was
a growth in support for a return to
monarchy. This led to the Restoration,
which saw Charles II become king of
England.

Cromwell's journey to power

Oliver Cromwell was a Member of Parliament. He had
been a leader of the Parliamentarian army who, by
1648, had defeated Charles I’s Royalist army in the
Civil Wars.

Cromwell’s politics were strongly influenced by his
religious beliefs. He was a Puritan, which meant he
believed that the Bible should be read and studied
closely, and that people should spend more time
praying and thinking about God. Cromwell wore plain,
black clothes and introduced laws to ban popular
pastimes, such as bear-baiting, celebrating Christmas
and going to the theatre. Puritans believed that
entertainment might distract people from their
religious duties.

Cromwell's leadership

Following Charles’ arrest at the end of the first Civil War in 1647, there were some in Parliament who wanted to come to an
agreement for him to remain as king, but with reduced power. These MPs were forced out, and the remaining members, including
Oliver Cromwell, formed what was known as the ‘Rump Parliament’. This parliament carried out the trial and execution of Charles I.

Following Charles’ trial, Cromwell was one of only 59 commissioners who signed his death warrant, in January 1649. The 'Rump
Parliament' ruled until April 1653, when Cromwell entered Parliament with 40 soldiers and sent MPs away.

In December 1653, it was decided that England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland should be ruled by one person, as a Protectorate.
Cromwell was appointed as the ‘Lord Protector’. This gave him many of the same powers Charles had when he was king. A new
parliament, sometimes known as the 'Barebones Parliament', was put together to replace the Rump Parliament. It was felt that the
Barebones Parliament had too many radical ideas, so they were also dismissed.

In 1657, Parliament actually offered Cromwell the role of king, but he refused. He said he could not accept a role he had spent so
long fighting against. Despite not taking the title of king, Cromwell had many similar powers. He was not elected into his position,
largely made decisions on his own and was replaced by his son.

To help him rule the country, Cromwell had a close group of advisors to support him. This group was called the Council of State and
was set up in 1649.

The period of time that Cromwell ruled England is often referred to as the Interregnum. This ended in 1660, when Charles II was
crowned and a monarchy was restored.

After Charles I’s execution, England was known as a commonwealth. There were still Royalist supporters who were angry about the
treatment of Charles.

Cromwell's death and the return of the monarchy

Oliver Cromwell died in 1658. He was replaced as Lord Protector by his son, Richard Cromwell. The army
was concerned about Richard’s lack of military experience. They did not believe he could rule effectively.
Parliament refused to listen to the demands made by the army for reforms.

In 1660, fearing an uprising from the army, Richard Cromwell resigned from his position as Lord Protector.
Charles II, the son of Charles I, was invited to return from the Netherlands to be crowned king. This was
known as the Restoration. The Interregnum, England’s 11-year period as a republic, was over, and the
monarchy was restored.

Charles II’s reign was very different from that of the Puritan Oliver Cromwell. Charles II allowed theatres to
reopen; he was a lover of music and the arts. The strict moral rules of the Puritans were relaxed. Restoration
comedy plays were popular with a public who welcomed the chance to enjoy the theatre once more.

There were also developments in architecture and science under Charles II’s rule. Christopher Wren
designed and built St Paul’s Cathedral following the Great Fire of London. In 1662, Charles II supported the
foundation of the Royal Society, a group of scientists who held regular meetings to discuss new ideas and
their experiments. Christopher Wren was a member of the Royal Society, along with famous diarist Samuel
Pepys and scientist Isaac Newton.

Cromwell's legacy

Cromwell is still a divisive figure today.

His actions in Ireland, along with his numerous offensive comments about Catholics, mean that
he is extremely unpopular among many people, particularly in Catholic communities.

In 1661, three years after Cromwell's death, Charles II and his new Parliament ordered the
removal of his body from its grave in Westminster Abbey. It was posthumously ‘executed’.
Cromwell's body was hanged and his head was cut off and placed on a pole, which was then
displayed at Westminster Hall. The ‘execution’ took place on the twelfth anniversary of the day
Charles I had been executed.

A statue of Cromwell was erected outside Parliament in 1899.

Historians continue to debate Cromwell’s actions and leadership.

Cromwell's death and the return of the monarchy

Oliver Cromwell died in 1658. He was replaced as Lord Protector by his son, Richard Cromwell. The army
was concerned about Richard’s lack of military experience. They did not believe he could rule effectively.
Parliament refused to listen to the demands made by the army for reforms.

In 1660, fearing an uprising from the army, Richard Cromwell resigned from his position as Lord Protector.
Charles II, the son of Charles I, was invited to return from the Netherlands to be crowned king. This was
known as the Restoration. The Interregnum, England’s 11-year period as a republic, was over, and the
monarchy was restored.

Charles II’s reign was very different from that of the Puritan Oliver Cromwell. Charles II allowed theatres to
reopen; he was a lover of music and the arts. The strict moral rules of the Puritans were relaxed. Restoration
comedy plays were popular with a public who welcomed the chance to enjoy the theatre once more.

There were also developments in architecture and science under Charles II’s rule. Christopher Wren
designed and built St Paul’s Cathedral following the Great Fire of London. In 1662, Charles II supported the
foundation of the Royal Society, a group of scientists who held regular meetings to discuss new ideas and
their experiments. Christopher Wren was a member of the Royal Society, along with famous diarist Samuel
Pepys and scientist Isaac Newton.

King Charles II

The eldest surviving son of Charles I, Charles had been eight years old when Civil War broke out. He was with his
father at the Battle of Edgehill and in Oxford, until ordered by him to seek the safety of France.

King Charles II enters London on May 29, 1660, after the monarchy was restored in England.

Photos.com/Jupiterimages

Introduction

Great Britain’s King Charles II spent his early years in exile after his father,
Charles I, was executed. He was invited back to be king of England in 1660.
Charles II’s reign was marked by disasters such as the plague and the Great Fire
of London, and he lived an extravagant lifestyle. However, after years of strict
Puritan rule, the people were pleased to have a king again.

Early Life

Charles II was born on May 29, 1630, the second son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France. During the 1640s,
Charles’s father fought against Parliament in the English Civil War.

When he was 12 years old, Charles went with his father to the Battle of Edgehill. In 1645 he was named commander
of the English forces in the west of England. By the spring of 1646, however, his father was losing the war. Charles
then left England in fear for his life.

Charles traveled to the Scilly Isles, then to Jersey, and finally to France, where his cousin was king. Later, he traveled to
Holland, but he returned to Scotland in 1650. By that time, his father had been executed, and Oliver Cromwell was
ruling Britain as a commonwealth. In 1651 Charles led a force of 10,000 Scots to Worcester to fight Cromwell.
Cromwell won and Charles escaped. He hid for six weeks and then made his way back to France. He roamed Europe
for eight years before being invited back to England to be king after Cromwell’s death.

Restoration

On his 30th birthday—May 29, 1660—Charles arrived in London to claim the throne. Because
this restored the monarchy in Great Britain the period of his reign is known as the
Restoration.

Charles was careful to learn from his father’s mistakes, but he could not forgive the men who
ordered his father’s execution. Nine of them were put to death. Cromwell’s body was
exhumed (dug up) from Westminster Abbey, hung at Tyburn (Marble Arch), and later thrown
into a pit under the gallows.

Religious Issues

Many of Charles I’s problems had come about through disagreements over religion, so
Charles II was tolerant in religious matters. He accepted both Catholics and
Protestants in Britain, even though anti-Catholic feeling was widespread at the time.
Many people were still afraid that he might try to force his subjects to be Catholic.

In 1662 Charles married Catherine of Braganza—a Portuguese princess. They had no
children together so Charles’s heir was his brother James. This was another reason for
concern for many because James was a Catholic.

Charles II's coronation

After the death of Oliver Cromwell, his son Richard became Lord
Protector. However Richard lacked the leadership qualities of his
father, and he was quickly resigned.
It was decided that Charles' son should return to his rightful role, and
become king. He would rule closely with parliament, and returned to
popular acclaim.
New regalia was made (the previous crown had been melted down
when Charles I was executed) and the coronation took place on 23
April 1661.

Plague and War

During Charles’s reign, London was ravaged by a deadly disease known as the plague
and the Great Fire. These disasters led to more than 70,000 deaths and the destruction
of large parts of the city.

Between 1665 and 1667 England was at war with the Dutch, and in 1667 the Dutch sank
five British ships. In the 1670s Charles formed a new alliance with France. The French
only promised to support Charles if he restored Catholicism in England, but Charles did
not fulfill his promise.

Merry Monarch

Charles II was nicknamed the “merry monarch” because of his love of music and grand entertainment. He
was intelligent and interested in scientific research, art, and literature. After the Great Fire he appointed his
childhood friend, Christopher Wren, to rebuild London. Wren created designs for more than 50 new
churches, including Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

Charles ruled Britain fairly skillfully. His reign was marked by a gradual increase in Parliament’s power. The
period also saw the advance of trade in India, North America, and the East Indies and great progress of
England as a sea power.

Charles died on February 6, 1685. On his deathbed he converted to the Catholic faith. The throne then
passed to his younger brother, who became James II.

William III or William of Orange

(1650–1702). King William III ruled both the Netherlands and Great
Britain. In both roles he defended the interests of Protestants against
Roman Catholics.

William was born on November 14, 1650, in The Hague, the
Netherlands. His father was William II, prince of Orange, and his
mother was Mary, the daughter of King Charles I of England. The House
of Orange was a ruling family of the United Provinces of the
Netherlands. William’s father died before William was born, and his
mother died when he was still a boy. But his guardians raised him to be
a ruler.

In 1672 William took command of Dutch troops fighting against invading
forces from France and England. He also became the stadholder, or
ruler, of the Netherlands. He began to make agreements with rulers of
other European powers to help in the fight against the British and the
French. He also built up the army. By 1679 the French and the British
had signed peace treaties with William.

Glorious Revolution

In 1677 William had married his cousin Mary. Mary’s father became Britain’s King James II in 1685. James
was a Roman Catholic, but many people in England were Protestant. They did not like it when James tried to
give more power to Catholics.

William and Mary were both Protestants. Many in England who wanted a Protestant ruler thought that Mary
should be next in line for the throne. When James and his wife had a son, therefore, many became worried
that the throne would pass to another Catholic ruler instead. Some leaders of Parliament invited William and
Mary to come to England to seize power. William arrived with an army in 1688, and James soon left the
country. In April 1689 the Parliament passed a law saying that William and Mary had the right to be the new
rulers. They became William III and Mary II. The events that brought them to power became known as the
Glorious Revolution.

William promised to

→ maintain the Protestant religion
→ call a free Parliament which would not be banned from discussing any political
issues
→ investigate the legitimacy of King James II new born son

Last Battles

In 1689 James invaded Ireland to try to win back the throne. After several battles,
William defeated James for good at the battle of the Boyne in 1690. At about the same
time the Catholic king Louis XIV of France again tried to take over parts of Europe.
William brought together many other countries to fight against Louis. William died on
March 19, 1702, as he was preparing for the war. Because Mary had died earlier and
they had no children, the English throne passed to Mary’s sister Anne.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zk4cwmn/articles/zg6ccmn#zf733j66
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Charles-II/476238#