Oliver Cromwell's Role In English History

Oliver Cromwell was born on April twenty-fifth, 1599 in Huntingdon, United Kingdom, a small town near Cambridge. He was baptised four days after his birth at the church of St John. Oliver’s ancestors were distant relatives of Thomas Cromwell, who was a very powerful man in England and permanently changed the course of English history. Thomas was King Henry VII’s chancellor, and was known as a logical man who did not allow emotions to dictate his actions. Because of their distant relation to Thomas, Oliver’s ancestors had benefitted greatly and lived on monastic lands. They were related to Thomas because Morgan Williams, who was Oliver’s great-great-grandfather, was married to Thomas Cromwell’s sister Katherine. But, since Oliver’s father was a youngest son in the family, he had only acquired a small portion of the fortune brought by his relation to the powerful Thomas Cromwell. Oliver was the son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward, …show more content…
By the time Oxford surrendered to the Parliament in June of 1646, Oliver Cromwell was known and regarded as one of the most proficient soldiers in England. Cromwell soon became irritated with the Presbyterian MPs who were willing to risk a second civil war. In August of 1647 Oliver threatened the Presbyterian Eleven Members with military force to get them out of the House of Commons. Radicals in both the Parliament and army began to think of Oliver Cromwell as a selfish hypocrite. In the winter of 1648-9, King Charles I was executed and monarchy and the House of Lords was abolished. After the King was executed, Cromwell tried to bring the original group of “Royal Independents” back together, but failed. In the winter of 1653, Oliver was promoted to “Lord Protector,” which was the head of state. He aspired to bring back stability and peace. When he was offered the English crown in 1657, he refused to accept