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A level history stuarts essay plan - Charles II and Cromwell
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Essay plan for the question " In the years 1649-78 Charles II was a more successful ruler than Cromwell"
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In the years 1649-1678 Charles II was a more successful ruler than Cromwell.Constitutional settlement + support from political nation
Cromwell successes:
● (Rump) abolished the monarchy and House of Lords 1649.
● Instrument of Government 1653 - Established the protectorate/first written constitution.
● Imprisonment of radical John Biddle 1654 - showed parliament’s desire to crack down on
radical dissent.
● Cromwell rejected kingship - accepted a revised Humble Petition and Advice 1657 which
allowed him to choose the next protector
● Some Major Generals were moderate and relatively popular - attempting to improve the
life of the poor.
Cromwell Failures:
★ The acceptance of the Humble Petition and advice 1657 - Cromwell was ‘king in all but
name’ reflected the failure to establish a republican form of government
★ Cromwell’s position was unclear - moved between supporting religious radicals and
moderates.
★ Failure shown by the restoration 1660
Charles II successes :
● 1641 legislation was upheld - abolition of star chamber, maintenance of the triennial act.
● Restored with significant powers - foreign policy, appointing advisers and prorogue
parliament.
● Charles II and his advisers (Danby and Clarendon) were willing to cooperate with the
political nation.
● Fear of civil war allowed Charles II to defeat the whigs in the exclusion crisis.
Charles II failures:
★ The Whigs had clear support throughout the exclusion crisis - london mob and
pamphleteering.
★ Divisions between crown and country appeared throughout Charles II reign - Whig v
Tory
Judgement: Both Cromwell and Charles II faced political opposition throughout their reign,
however Charles II was more successful at establishing a stable constitution with help from his
advisors. The restoration settlement set the basis of a constitutional monarchy for years to
follow.
Raising finances
Cromwell successes:
● The Commonwealth was able to raise a significant amount of revenue through taxation -
excise and assessments.
Cromwell Failures:
★ The English paid ten times as much tax as they did in the 1630’s - politically unpopular.
★ Cost of maintenance of the army was expensive and undermined support for the
commonwealth.
Charles II successes:
● Danby’s influence - grew crown revenue from £870k to £1million in 8 years
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