Problems Oliver Cromwell Faced

In many ways the death of King Charles I was only the beginning of Oliver Cromwell's problems.

Next Oliver Cromwell had to defeat a new political party called the Levellers who, true to their name, wanted everybody in England to be equal in rank and wealth, a philosophy somewhat similar to the socialism that developed a few centuries later.

Then Oliver Cromwell had to put down rebel armies in Ireland and Scotland, and direct a victorious war against Holland, which was controlling trade on the seas.

And of course, there were more problems with Parliament, this time with his own specially chosen Rump group, which began to make itself wealthy with political bribes and favors.  Appalled by the lack of integrity, as was the public, Oliver Cromwell suggested that Parliament disband itself and hold a new election. The most he could get from them was a promise they'd have an election in a few years.

There were problems with money too. To replenish the treasury, Parliament was confiscating property from royalists and selling it to businessmen, destroying many honest men and businesses in the process. Again, Oliver Cromwell demanded a new election. This time Parliament agreed, but only on the condition that current members could remain without being elected, and that a few new elected members could be added. This demand infuriated Oliver Cromwell. A few days later, when he heard they were going to pass this election law without him, he stormed into Parliament, yelled and screamed a while, called them "corrupt and unjust men and scandalous to the profession of the Gospel" and finally announced: "We have had enough of this. I'll put an end to your prating. You shall give place to better men. Call them in!" And with that, in came his troops.

When the troops entered, Oliver Cromwell picked up the mace on the Speaker's table, a symbol of Parliament's authority, and made his now famous statement: "Take this bauble away!" The frightened members of Parliament were ushered out the door and Oliver Cromwell was leader of England.

The government of Oliver Cromwell, which has often been called a dictatorship, had no constitutional basis and from the beginning was based on his own prestige and personality. At first, he did not admit he was an absolute ruler. In fact, he summoned a new Parliament, this time made up of religious men elected by the Independent churches of England. It was called, facetiously by some, the Parliament of Saints.

Unfortunately, its members were more experienced with the Bible than with law making, and disgusted by their incompetence and their radical views, Oliver Cromwell sent them home. He later described his experiment in choosing so-called Saints to govern as an example of his own "weakness and folly." Next, he selected a group of trusted supporters and after what they described as "much seeking of God by prayer," they elected Cromwell ruler for life, with the more benign title "Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland." The election stipulated that he would be assisted by a council of state and a Parliament which had to be called every three years. When people protested, Cromwell responded that he was doing it for England's sake, to prevent further civil war.