Oliver Cromwell

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A strong man, with skillful military ability, helped to construct a plan to overthrow King Charles I during his reign of tyranny (Iggulden, Conn and Iggulden 79). Oliver Cromwell was well-known as one of the most controversial heroes of his time. Cromwell played a big part in the military as a soldier and a general. He was also a part of the English Parliament, which was somewhat corrupt during this time period.

Oliver Cromwell was born April 25, 1599, in Huntingdon, England; near the end of the Elizabethan age (Kaplan 5). Cromwell was the son of the wealthy Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward. Oliver was vaguely related to Thomas Cromwell; Henry VIII's minister. His early years were ordinary; he went to Huntingdon Grammar School, and went on to complete his education at Sidney Sussex College (“Oliver Cromwell”).

In the year of 1616 Cromwell attended Sidney Sussex College, where he earned a reputation for his commitment to Puritanism. There he was noted for his enthusiasm for sports and games rather than for his academic abilities. Cromwell's university career was cut short when his father died June 1617 and he returned home to manage his family estate and to look after his widowed mother and seven unmarried sisters (“Oliver Cromwell”). So during those years he lived in London; where he began drinking and wrenching. Through those years his behavior was very much frowned upon in his society (“Cromwell: Profiles in Power”).

On August 22, 1620, at the age of twenty-one he married Elizabeth Bourchier, the daughter of Sir James Bourchier, a wealthy leather merchant. Oliver and his wife had a total of nine children, only eight of them survived infancy. Robert was the oldest child who was born October 1621, died aged 17 ...

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...s power to Cromwell. This is ironic because Cromwell and the Parliament were fighting for equal power. The Parliament easily gave away their power without any disagreements. He had more power than King Charles would have ever hoped to have. Cromwell used the Parliament to his advantage; he influenced Parliament into funding just about everything he wanted to do. During that time Parliament helped to fund English wars and stop royalist rebellions (“Oliver Cromwell”). Cromwell was an excellent military general but not such a great leader.

Oliver Cromwell died September 3, 1658 from malaria (Iggulden, Conn and Iggulden 120). His successor was his fifth son Richard but, his reign did not last long. In 1660 Monarchy returned to England and Charles II the son of Charles I became king. Cromwell’s body was embalmed and was secretly held in Westminster Abbey.

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