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Oliver Cromwell: Life Under Puritan Rule

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Oliver Cromwell: Life under Puritan Rule
The Commonwealth refers to the period in the post-Civil War epoch when England was ruled without a King after the execution of Charles I in 1649. During the next eleven years, the Parliament took control with different systems. However, the real power lay with Oliver Cromwell who dismissed the Parliament in 1653. He established the Protectorate; a monarchy with him at its head, becoming the Lord Protector. As a Puritan, he deeply and fervently devoted to carrying out the will of God. Under his leadership, forces of Puritanism rose up to power and dominated the English Parliament. However, there is a myth that is usually regarded as a true account of the remote past, saying that the Puritans caused the end of the commonwealth period. So how did their actions, under Oliver Cromwell, help lead to the restoration of England and the return of the king?

1. Strict “moral” laws under Cromwell
1.1 “Improve” people’s behavior
1.2 Sunday, the Lord’s Day
1.3 No fun allowed …show more content…

Once they gained power at the end of the civil war, they enacted severe laws to enforce their austere religious beliefs. Anything besides working and praying God could be considered as a crime. Hence, people could not have fun. They oppressed Catholic people during more than ten years and invade territories to obligate people to become Puritans. Despite the fact that the freedom of religion act granted a limited toleration to other religions, Catholics were still banned. The English people grew tired more and more of living under such circumstances. So after the death of Oliver Cromwell and after the failure of his son, Richard, who was not a forceful character as his father, the Puritans lost control of the army. The Parliament, being afraid of another civil war, decided to invite Charles II to the throne after he agreed to concessions for religious

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