After King Charles I’s execution in January 1649, Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) became Lord Protector of the country. Oliver Cromwell was ruler of the country, with assistant of parliament from 25 December 1653, until his death, when his son Richard Cromwell took power. Cromwell wasn’t the king of the three kingdoms (England, Scotland and Ireland), but he had similar power. Over history it has been disputed whether he was a heroic, powerful saviour for the country, or an evil psychopath who took what they wanted. I have been looking at which one I believe that Cromwell was; a hero or a villain.
Some argue that Oliver Cromwell was great for the country because Cromwell allowed Jews to enter the country. In 1290, King Edward I expelled all Jews from England, however in October 1651 Oliver Cromwell let them return after over 350 years because he wanted rich Jews from Holland to boost the English economy. Cromwell has also been seen as a heroic figure, because he formed the New Model Army. The New Model Army was powerful because they won all of the wars that they fought in. Prince Rupert of the Rhine called the New Model Army the ‘Ironsides’ as they seemed to cut through the
…show more content…
enemy with ease. On the other hand, others argue that Oliver Cromwell wrecked the whole country (particularly Ireland), considering that Cromwell let thousands of Irish citizens and soldiers die in his conquest.
Between 1649 and 1653 Cromwell attempted to get more control over Ireland. Many historians say that Cromwell had ruined the peaceful Ireland because he cause almost 20,000 deaths, and lead to turmoil and dread for hundreds of years, and more battles for decades. “The curse of Cromwell is upon you” is even a common Irish curse. As Oliver Cromwell was a puritan, he had made illegal what he saw as ‘sinful’. Some of the things that he had banned included: Christmas, dancing, pubs and theatres. This shows that he was power mad because he disallowed fun that the public was used to
normally. Even those that had supported him hated the ways that Cromwell empowered the country and was a strong authoritarian. John Lilburn (1614 – 29 August 1657) said in 1645: “I would rather live seven years under the old king’s government at its worse than under Cromwell’s government. We were ruled by King Lords and parliament, now we are ruled by a general, the army and parliament.” This proves that Cromwell had ruined both the country and the parliament. Lilburn had been a supporter of Oliver Cromwell’s plans to abolish the monarchy during the civil war, however disliked how Cromwell hadn’t allowed the public to vote. This source is reliable because it was recorded at the time; however it was biased because it only shows one side of Cromwell. Lilburn had a strong connection with Cromwell’s opinions, and when Lilburn’s views didn’t happen, it led to him having negative views about Oliver Cromwell. Alternatively some people believed that Cromwell was a strong character, natural leader, and was just and fair. John Milton (December 9, 1608 - November 8, 1674), who had been a great friend of Cromwell’s, said: “Cromwell, our chief of men, guided by faith and matchless bravery to peace and truth.” This shows that Oliver Cromwell was a heroic, peaceful courageous man. This may be exaggerated, because John Milton was a poet, and therefore may have over-emphasised how he showed Cromwell. This source is biased (and may not be reliable) because Milton was a friend of Cromwell and so automatically would have said that he was better than he was. It may be that Milton felt pressured by Cromwell and felt that he had to say something good about him. Alternatively this source is reliable because it was written around the time of Cromwell, and they had first-hand evidence of the events. During the 19th century historians saw Cromwell as a powerful, skilful leader that had strong morals. He was also admired because he had strong foreign forces that lead him to winning lots of battles. In 1899 Cromwell even had a statue erected in the Houses of Parliament. I think that historians saw him in that way because in the early 19th century it was the time when the country had some useless Kings (such as King Georges III and IV) that had been letting the country down, similar to King Charles I had done, and so it may have been the time for a full republic. If they viewed Oliver Cromwell as power force, then that would support the current views of the country. Historians also may have admired him then because it was at the time that Britain was starting to develop as a country, and was taking a leap in the way that the country worked together. Unlike the 19th century, in the 1930’s and 40’s Cromwell was seen to be one of the lowest points in British history because he seemed to be similar to a dictator in the way that he took control from the previous king, without letting his son take the lead.
Oliver Cromwell was a prominent leader during the civil war. Cromwell played a leading role in capturing Charles I to trial and execution. During the civil war, Cromwell’s military abilities commit highly to the parliamentary victory which made him appointed as the new model army leader. Also, the parliaments determined that he would end the civil war as the powerful man in England. In the selection, Edmund Ludlow criticize about the new models of government. Cromwell dislikes the idea of new models of government because he feel the new models of government would destroy the power. Also, Ludlow criticizes about Cromwell’s power is being abused too much, so he feels that the nation should governed by its own. Cromwell’s responded that the government
The eventual breakdown of severing relations between Charles I and Parliament gave way to a brutal and bloody English Civil War. However, the extent that Parliament was to blame for the collapse of cooperation between them and ultimately war, was arguably only to a moderate extent. This is because Parliament merely acted in defiance of King Charles I’s harsh personal rule, by implementing controlling legislation, attacking his ruthless advisors and encouraging public opinion against him. These actions however only proceeded Charles I’s personal abuse of his power, which first and foremost exacerbated public opinion against his rule. This was worsened
The claim that Thomas Cromwell carried out a revolution in Tudor government was generated by the historian Elton, the success of Cromwell as minister in his aims of sovereignty, Parliament and bureaucracy under King Henry VIII. Elton’s claims are met with many sceptic opponents such as Starkey and Guy, criticising that Cromwell’s work up to 1540 was anything but revolution, it was a mere pragmatic approach to fulfilling the king’s wishes which led to his escalation of power and a lucky set of consequential changes in government. The criticisms seem plausible when taking into consideration that Cromwell’s reformations within the Tudor government were not permanent, his work was quickly undone after his death. The work of Cromwell in government was hardly a revolutionary movement as it failed to deeply imprint itself upon England but it is undeniable that he made significant changes to England at the peak of his professional career.
People often talk about how “evil” Benedict Arnold was, how his name was often associated with the word “Traitor”. Then we hear how he was: brilliant, victorious leader, very successful, credited battle hero, and the list goes on. But do we really know if Benedict Arnold was as bad as his reputation proceed? Was Benedict Arnold a Traitor or a Hero?
The 17th century was a chaotic time period in England. England saw a transition in their nation’s religion during the reign of different monarchs. Before the start of the 17th century, England was under a Roman Catholic monarch with Queen Mary. Mary attempted to turn the Church of England into a Catholic Church and in the process earned the name “Bloody Mary”. She earned this name through her executions of many Protestants in England. However once Mary was unsuccessful in creating a Catholic England and was no longer the monarch, the Church went back to a Protestant Church. With the church now being Protestant, the Catholic minority in England began to become upset with the church and even plotted to make the church Catholic again through violence.
Andrew Carnegie, an inventor, philosopher, and entrepreneur, helped create the age of industrialization; also known as the Gilded Age. With his steel, he turned the U.S from an agricultural and commercial nation to an industrial nation. Being one of the forward-thinking men of his time, he helped cities expand bringing urbanization. Although many people consider him a hero, he is considered an antagonist because of his atrocious working conditions coupled with the long hour and the wages. So was he a hero? A hero is generally defined as someone who is admired or idealized usually for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. On the other hand, an anti-hero is someone who lacks the traits of a traditional hero but still has the greater good of the people in mind. Though Carnegie did the best he could for the people of the future, I cannot say the same for the people of his time. Andrew Carnegie is in between a hero and a villain; he is an anti-hero.
For hundreds of years, those who have read Henry V, or have seen the play performed, have admired Henry V's skills and decisions as a leader. Some assert that Henry V should be glorified and seen as an "ideal Christian king". Rejecting that idea completely, I would like to argue that Henry V should not be seen as the "ideal Christian king", but rather as a classic example of a Machiavellian ruler. If looking at the play superficially, Henry V may seem to be a religious, moral, and merciful ruler; however it was Niccolo Machiavelli himself that stated in his book, The Prince, that a ruler must "appear all mercy, all faith, all honesty, all humanity, [and] all religion" in order to keep control over his subjects (70). In the second act of the play, Henry V very convincingly acts as if he has no clue as to what the conspirators are planning behind his back, only to seconds later reveal he knew about their treacherous plans all along. If he can act as though he knows nothing of the conspirators' plans, what is to say that he acting elsewhere in the play, and only appearing to be a certain way? By delving deeper into the characteristics and behaviors of Henry V, I hope to reveal him to be a true Machiavellian ruler, rather than an "ideal king".
...his death by coming up with a plan that More could no way escape, which was to use the law against More and this is shown when Cromwell states, “ . . . it must be done by law. It’s just a matter of finding the right law. Or making one.” (Bolt 61) Cromwell tried to bring More down by attempting to show the More accepted bribes, he was acquainted with Holy Maid of Kent, and that he instigated the King’s book. Cromwell was trying to get innocent man convicted by making up stuff to hold him on which makes him a man with no integrity
King Henry VIII was one of the most powerful rulers in the fifteenth century, who had a very captivating life many people are not aware of. Most people know Henry VIII as a berserk king with too many wives, but there is more to Henry VIII than that. Many few people know about his life and what he truly contributed to our world. Henry VIII was an almighty leader in England who won’t soon be forgotten.
By More dying, he proved a point to himself and the public. That he was honorable and not going to succumb to the deceitful thinking of Cromwell and the King. “I have not disobeyed my sovereign. I truly believe no man in England is safer than myself.” (pg. 40)
King Charles I left us with some of the most intriguing questions of his period. In January 1649 Charles I was put on trial and found guilty of being a tyrant, a traitor, a murderer and a public enemy of England. He was sentenced to death and was executed on the 9th of February 1649. It has subsequently been debated whether or not this harsh sentence was justifiable. This sentence was most likely an unfair decision as there was no rule that could be found in all of English history that dealt with the trial of a monarch. Only those loyal to Olivier Cromwell (The leader opposing Charles I) were allowed to participate in the trial of the king, and even then only 26 of the 46 men voted in favour of the execution. Charles was schooled from birth, in divine right of kings, believing he was chosen by God to be king, and handing power to the parliament would be betraying God. Debatably the most unjust part of his trial was the fact that he was never found guilty of any particular crimes, instead he was found guilty of the damage cause by the two civil wars.
A hero is a man who is distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility. and strength to carry out tasks that involve great risks. A hero can also be a person who fights for other people to help or save them. from their fears and fears. He opposes the villain - a person who does wicked or intentionally harm others in some way, emotionally or otherwise.
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader and later Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Cromwell was born into the middle gentry, albeit to a family descended from the sister of King Henry VIII's minister Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell was a Puritan. He was a highly religious man who believed that everybody should lead their lives according to what was written in the Bible. The word “Puritan” means that followers had a pure soul and lived a good life. Cromwell believed that everybody else in England should follow his example. Oliver Cromwell and his generals of his own army ruled the twelve districts of England. He tore up constitutionalist documents. He closed down pubs,
Oliver Cromwell was a well known military dictator. He helped the Parliamentarians win the First Civil War and was named Lord Protector. He died in 1658 but many people still remember him as one of the best leaders in history although others believe he was a harsh tyrant and always wanted too much power for himself. Throughout the years, numerous historians have changed their views on whether he was a good leader or not. This work will look at three interpretations from different people on who Cromwell was and what he was like and compare them.
During the reign of Charles I, the people of England were divided into two groups due to their opinions on how the country should be run: The Royalists, and the Parliamentarians. The Royalists were those people who supported Charles I and his successor, while the Parliamentarians were those who supported the idea that Parliament should have a larger role in government affairs. Milton was a Parliamentarian and was an outspoken enemy of Charles I, having written numerous essays and pamphlets regarding his ideas as to how the government should be run, and “In one very famous pamphlet, he actually defended Parliament's right to behead the king should the king be found inadequate.” Charles I was seen as a corrupt and incompetent ruler, and “the Parliamentarians were fed up with their king and wanted Parliament to play a more important role in English politics and government.” This belief was held because of the unethical and tyrannical behavior of ruler Charles I. During his reign, he violated the liberties of his people and acted with hypocrisy and a general disregard for his subjects. Examples of his abuse of power in...