Oliver Cromwell Biography

Oliver Cromwell Biography

Full Name: Lord Protector General Oliver Cromwell
Date of Birth: April 25, 1599
Place of Birth: Huntingdon, England
Died: September 3, 1658
Place of Death: London, England
Classification: Leaders & Revolutionaries


Oliver Cromwell came from a wealthy family with prominent connections throughout the land. His father was even known as the “Golden Knight” and his mother was the daughter of a nobleman. Cromwell’s father didn’t send him to receive private schooling, but attended public school with the other boys in his district. One of his schoolmasters, known as Dr. Beard, a staunch Calvinist in his day, was one of Cromwell’s most influential mentors while growing up.

Around 1617, while Oliver was attending Sussex at Cambridge, his father passed away and Oliver left school. In the early 1920s, he began a life with Elizabeth Bourchier, the daughter of a wealthy leather merchant. Cromwell lived in Huntingdon, where he was known by the locals as someone quite modest and willing to help the poor. Cromwell decided later to enter the Parliament for Cambridge around 1640 due to the king enforcing laws that were stressing landowners financially. Furthermore, England was now going to war with Scotland. Although he wasn’t the group’s most prominent official, he voiced his opinions about the reform of the Church and that the king was not undertaking his duties with the will of the people in mind.

By the time war broke out, Cromwell began heading military regiments to defend East Anglia. He was a skillful leader and was able to keep his army of men together, healthy and trained. During each battle, he felt that God was truly behind him, his men and their cause. Even though many wanted the war to end, Cromwell kept his men fighting battles that would strengthen Britain’s control over each region. During the several years of battle against the royalists, Cromwell had become famous at home and abroad.

Oliver Cromwell led other battles over the next few years. When the royalists attempted once more to overthrow the military, Cromwell and his men destroyed the uprising, which eventually led to the execution of Charles I. By 1650, Cromwell had risen to chief of the military and thereafter claimed himself the ruler of England. He was tired of the nothingness that came out of parliamentary meetings and attempted to form a new parliament, which failed. He tried again to bring Council of State together to begin putting together a new constitution, which was never fully agreed upon. Again, Cromwell was forced to dissolve the parliament. Due to these failures, he decided to make the government more militaristic than he had planned. He was later offered the crown as the new King of England, but refused and instead decided he would rather receive the title of Lord Protector, which brought back the House of Lords.