Ever since Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England there have been different interpretations of him. In the nineteenth century historians considered Cromwell to be a great reformer and a man of principle. In modern times many historians use examples from his actions in Ireland to say Cromwell was an inhuman monster.

Between 1649 and 1658 Cromwell had more alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender than anyone else in Britain. In 1649 he took the New alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender Army to Ireland. During the English alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender War Cromwell had heard terrible stories from Protestants in alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender. He heard that Catholics committed horrible cruelties such as cutting off people’s hands and alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender and beating women’s brains with poles. There were many such stories.
Whether the stories were true we don’t really know – but Cromwell believed them. He was a alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender, a strong Protestant. Puritans believed it was their duty to punish the alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender. He went to Ireland determined to do just this!

When Catholic rebels in Drogheda refused to alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender to Cromwell, he ordered his soldiers to kill all the rebel soldiers. Hundreds of them hid in a church, but Cromwell ordered it to be set alight - many were burnt alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender, and all the local priests were killed. People began to worry that Britain was sliding into the madness of alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender wars.

The son of the dead Charles I soon caused Cromwell trouble, leading a alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender army against England. Cromwell beat this army but Charles (as Charles I’s son was called) escaped and lived abroad for nine years. Cromwell also expected alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender to improve the country. All MPs (Members of Parliament) who had supported the King were not allowed into Parliament after 1648. There 60 remaining MPs had turned Britain into a republic called the alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender. Yet these MPs were greedy and used taxes to make themselves alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender.


In 1653 Cromwell had enough. He took 30 soldiers to the House of Commons and threw the alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender MPs out. Cromwell ran the country himself for the following five years as Lord alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender. Despite Cromwell trying many different ways of ruling, people became keen to have a alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender again. They asked Cromwell to become the King. Cromwell alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender to become King, but took extra powers and it was agreed that his son would become Lord Protector when he died. Many of Cromwell’s enemies said that Cromwell was alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender and had taken all the power of the King, yet just without the name.

Cromwell allowed other Puritans to have a lot of power. All Puritans wanted to end all ‘wicked alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender’. Theatres were alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender because Puritans said the devil used them. Dancing around May Poles was alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender. Many inns were shut and popular alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender of bull and bear baiting were prohibited. Nobody was allowed to work or even play alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender on Sundays! Even Christmas day was made a day of alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender (no eating allowed). This was strictly enforced with alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender used to remove meat from ovens in London homes. If caught swearing you would have to pay a alivebannedbehaviourCatholicsCivilclosedCommonwealthcorruptfastingfeetfinefootballgreedyIrelandKingModelParliamentpowerProtectorPuritanrefusedreligiousrichScottishsoldierssportssurrender.