Civil war

The English civil war was fought between Royalist Cavaliers loyal to the king and the Puritan Roundheads (so called because their hair was cut short, unlike the long-haired courtiers). Over time, Parliament proved victorious, due largely to the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell, a military genius and Puritan extremist. In April 1646, Charles surrendered himself to the Scots, who turned him over to Parliament in exchange for a large ransom. By this time, the Parliamentary forces wanted to do away with the monarchy. The court that tried Charles accused him of being a “Tyrant, Traitor and Murderer; and a public enemy to the good people of this nation.” The trial was controversial; many people who had fought against Charles were reluctant to resort to execution. Nonetheless, the death sentence was passed, and the king was publicly beheaded. A week after his death, Parliament abolished the monarchy. Cromwell became the Lord Protector of the country. Until his death in 1658, Cromwell imposed strict Puritanical rules on public behavior and religious worship. He closed theaters, banned dancing and music, caused all religious icons to be destroyed as “graven images,” and forbade the celebration of Christmas.

The Puritan Rule

Cromwell was a complex leader, leaving a legacy to be both admired and deplored. He preached and practiced religious toleration—except for Catholics. Any “graven images,” which Cromwell associated with Catholicism, were destroyed. Throughout England, baptismal fonts, statues of saints, ceiling and altar decorations—the devotional art of centuries—were smashed. With the stability that Cromwell’s government provided, the economy prospered, but there was little pleasure or entertainment in a country where public music was banned and theaters were closed. What had begun as a noble experiment in liberty ended in a military dictatorship.

After Cromwell

After Cromwell’s death in 1658, his son Richard briefly attempted to rule as Lord Protector, but he was ousted by the military, which disbanded Parliament and ruled incompetently. When order was restored by some of the king’s old enemies, there seemed only one solution. In May 1660, Charles II returned triumphant, riding through London accompanied by a supportive army as he made his way to the palace of Whitehall, the scene of his father’s execution twelve years before.

The Restoration and Public Pleasures.