Palmer #19, Question 4

Palmer #19, Question 4

Will Stewart

“Describe the government of England under the Commonwealth and the Protectorate. What was the regime of the major generals? Why was this regime considered necessary?

Thesis: Though Cromwell favored constitutional and parliamentary government, the Protectorate essentially became a dictatorship by the end of his rule.

· Cromwell took over England, executed King Charles I, and declared all of the British Isles a republic named the Commonwealth.

· Cromwell was good in English foreign policy

o Lessened Dutch maritime supremacy

o Navigation Acts

o Subjugation of Ireland

o Won Jamaica in war with Spain

· Never gained much domestic support

o Not Puritan enough to win over radicals, but too Puritan to win over moderate Protestants

· Major Generals

o Cromwell put England under military rule

o Considered necessary because he abolished all other methods of representative, local government

o Major generals each ruled a certain district

o Put down all bad behavior- repressed vagabonds, closed ale houses, prohibited cockfighting