How Did Oliver Cromwell Influence The Government

As Ivan Roots said, “Oliver Cromwell is among the best known of Englishmen as well as one of the least understood.” He was born on April 25, 1599 to Elizabeth and Robert Cromwell in the Cambridgeshire town of Huntingdon. In 1616, Cromwell began attending Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge for agricultural studies, however, dropped out after his father’s death in 1617 to help his mother with raising his younger siblings and never continued his studies. While helping his mother, Cromwell began studying law at Lincoln’s Inn of Court in London, where he met his wife Elizabeth. Cromwell, in 1629, entered into politics for the first time and was elected to the Parliament. However, the tyranny of King Charles began to upset him and the other

However, the King seemed like he would be willing to compromise with the Parliament. Because of the king’s attitude, Cromwell wanted to take advantage and create a proposal for a settlement that both the King and the Parliament could agree on. It took quite some time and various proposals until was was made that pleased Cromwell, which was “Heads of Proposals.” However, the King’s attitude changed and he would not compromise, and because the king failed to compromise with the parliament on a political agreement they became angry, and soon after the Second English Civil War in 1648 would start. Cromwell started first in south Wales, which enabled them to win at Chepstow Castle on May 25, and then six days later Tenby surrendered. They set the castle at Carmarthen ablaze causing the castle to be destroyed. The much stronger castle at Pembroke, however, fell only after eight

Though the parliament was weakened, they came to an agreement that Charles should be charged for treason. Once Cromwell returned to england after battle up north, he found out about the king’s trial and he agreed, thinking that killing Charles would end the civil war. Cromwell approved Thomas Brooks's address to the House of Commons. David Smith says “ It justified the trial and execution of the King on the basis of the Book of Numbers, chapter 35 and particularly verse 33.” On January 30, 1649 Charles I was executed. After the king was executed a republic was declared, known as the "Commonwealth of England." Cromwell then led the English military to gain control of the two following countries, Ireland in 1649 and later Scotland in 1650. This act is what caused the end of the Civil War with a Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. With the control of these two countries, Cromwell took the opportunity and introduced the idea of the Commonwealth to Scotland and Ireland. Crowell, in 1650, was appointed Lord General and in three short years became Lord Protector, 1653, which he held onto for five years until his