Oliver Cromwell Documentary- 03/21


Oliver Cromwell became the most powerful commoner in all of British history which all started with him making a revolution. Many people believed Cromwell was mentally ill and he likely had depression; he was the poorest in his family and he was the only man in his family because his father died when he was 18. Cromwell had to take care of his six sisters, his wife, and his mother. He believed he was damned to hell and that God was trying to humble him. However, he then began to believe that God had saved him because a local minister made Cromwell feel special because he said Cromwell was saved by the Lord. Cromwell becomes drawn in to puritanism in which he found the security that he so desperately needed in his life. Charles I was the king during this time and ruled the church of England against puritans. Cromwell wanted the king to have less power so when Irish Catholics rebelled and attacked puritans he decided to step in and fight back. The British Parliament, persuaded by Cromwell, decided to create an army to respond to the Irish. This angered Charles I. In July 1644, Cromwell was now leading battle and had a talent for it. Cromwell was up against an army lead by the king’s nephew, Prince Rupert; 4,000 men died that day and then 2,000 in the next two weeks from injuries. Cromwell understood the modern concept of revolution and that he needed to take down the army. Cromwell won the war  but struggled with making peace so he had to compromise with the King and see if he would repeal unpopular reforms. The war was then restarted into a second war which Cromwell said was because the King was going against God. On January 20, 1649, the King was put on trial for being accused of being a traitor. Charles said that a court could not try a king but nonetheless he was sentenced to be beheaded. After Cromwell defeated another group of Irish people in Dragada, he returned to London and felt that God was against him again. Then, on the 20th of April in 1653, Cromwell went in and attacked parliament. Cromwell then became the most powerful man in the land. Cromwell asked many churches to send their best and most piotus men to come create a new and pious parliament (parliament of saints). Unfortunately, this parliament did not last because all men have faults, even pious ones. Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England and Ireland. Most people did not share Cromwell’s love for the church so when Cromwell was offered the crown to be king he ultimately said no. On September 3, 1658, Cromwell died. About two years later, a new King, Charles II, decided to dig up Cromwell’s body and treat it as a traitor's body because he overall did not do much to fix the government in England.

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