After the Civil Wars
Sarah Mortimer looks at the historiography of what followed the British Civil Wars: the Republic led by Oliver Cromwell.
In May 1649 Parliament declared the abolition of monarchy. This was, however, a 'Rump’ Parliament, from which all those who were not supporters of the New Model Army had been purged in December 1648. For 11 years England and then Ireland and Scotland were ruled as a republic. But this proved no easy task and soon elements of monarchical rule began to creep back in to government. In 1653 Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector. Stability was maintained until his death in 1658, but his son Richard proved unable to hold things together and in 1660 Charles II was invited back to London.
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