What was cromwell famous for

For differing on views on why different historians think Cromwell is significant, have a look at the Cromwell Association website. You can also get a flavour of Cromwell's life, career and significance through this video with our Curator:. Cromwell at the Battle of Naseby, Early 19th century painting by Abraham Cooper. Home Cromwell Significance. Why is Cromwell Important? He rose to become the first commoner to become Head of State in British history.

Cromwell divides opinions: partly this is down to those after the Restoration who wanted blacken his name, partly because some of his actions, such as his Irish campaign, were controversial even during his lifetime and continue to cause discussion and debate even today. Civilians, as well as those bearing arms, were subject to violence and some historians have dubbed his actions in Ireland as being reminiscent of ethnic cleansing in their brutality.

In , he was ceremonially re-installed as Lord Protector at Westminster Hall in an event which closely mirrored a coronation. The office of Lord Protector was not hereditary, but Cromwell could nominate his own successor.

Jews were allowed to re-enter and settle in England following their expulsion in in the hope that they would aid economic and commercial recovery in England. A popular military leader and an experienced politician, he managed to balance these two powerful forces in a way which no one else could. Cromwell died in September , possibly from septicaemia following a urinary infection.

He was buried with great pomp and circumstance at Westminster Abbey with a funeral based on that of James I. Two years later, in , his body was exhumed and subject to posthumous execution. His head was then displayed on a spike outside Westminster Abbey until It changed hands several times subsequently before being reburied in at Sidney Sussex College Chapel, Cambridge.

TV A new online only channel for history lovers. Sign Me Up. Oliver was one of 10 children, and the only boy to survive infancy. Robert passed away in June , which led to Cromwell leaving Cambridge without completing his degree to return to the homestead to support his mother and seven unmarried sisters.

On his small income Cromwell supported both his wife and his ever expanding family Oliver and Elizabeth had nine children in all, although only six survived into adulthood. As the only surviving son himself, Cromwell was also tasked with supporting his widowed mother, who outlived her husband by a further 37 years. Cromwell relocated to the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives in and then to Ely in following the inheritance of property from his maternal uncle.

However, whilst Cromwell became an MP for Cambridge he was not significantly involved in national politics until the s. The summer of saw the outbreak of the first English Civil War between the Royalists, the supporters of King Charles I who claimed that the King should have absolute power as his divine right as king, and the Parliamentarians who favoured a constitutional monarchy and later the abolition of the monarchy and the House of Lords completely.

Colloquially, Royalists were also called Cavaliers in reference to the Latin caballarius , meaning horseman and in Henry IV, Part 2 Shakespeare used the word to describe a haughty member of the gentry.

Both names were used derisively by their opponents. From the very beginning Cromwell was a committed member of the parliamentary army. Westminster Hall above, left where the trial of King Charles I took place, and his subsequent execution above, right. Cromwell led the English military campaigns to establish control of Ireland in and later Scotland in This resulted in the end of the Civil War with a Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September and the introduction of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Cromwell was appointment to Lord General, effectively commander in chief, of the parliamentary armed forces in In December , Cromwell became Lord Protector, a role in which he remained until his death five years later.