Dissolvement of the Rump

• Stability of England in 1651


  England was not very stable. Cromwell's regime remained unpopular and lacked legitimacy
• Factors contributing to instability

  1. The army was needed to defend the rump; however, they could not generate positive support

  2. The year of war had created high taxes and destroyed harvests

  3. Royalist sentiment remained, with Charles II having escaped abroad

  4. The army's association with radical religious ideas led to expectations of "godly reformation"
• Establishment of the Republic

  • Established a republic government
  • Victories in Ireland and Scotland
• Steps taken to establish the Republic

  1. Oath of Engagement, JAN 1650, required every man to swear allegiance to the commonwealth

  2. Treason Act, JULY 1650, made it illegal to deny authority of the regime as vested in the commons

  3. Act of Oblivion, 1651, aimed to reconcile former royalists to the commonwealth, however there were many exceptions that it failed to achieve
• The Adultery Act of May 1650


  Imposed the death penalty for adultery
• Blasphemy Act of August 1650


  Aimed at getting rid of extreme religion
• Toleration Act in September 1650


  Ended compulsory attendance of Church
• Navigation Act, 1651


  Established that trade should only be conducted using English vessels
• Minor legal reforms

  • Banning French
• Cromwell dissolving the Rump


  Reluctance of the Rump to pursue "godly reform"
• After military victories

  The council of officers argued the rump was not attending "godly reform"
• He closed the Rump

  APRIL 1653
• Rump agreed to publish a bill declaring an election

  1. Cromwell didn't find the bill satisfactory

  2. Cromwell destroyed the bill

  3. Believed the bill did not define the qualifications for future MPs enough

  4. Would allow monarchists back into power
• There were rumours

  The Rump intended to remove Cromwell from the generalship and remodel the command of the army
• Rift

  The division or conflict between the Rump and the army
• Cromwell closed down the Rump

  1. His main aim was always what he called "healing and settling"

  2. He wanted to reconstruct the pre-war institutions of every day
• Religion


  The main reason why Cromwell dissolved parliament
• In Cromwell's view, parliament had broken its trust to god
• NMA (Fifth Monarchists)

  • Believed they were god's instruments enforced through victories in battle
  • Became determined to force the conservative Rump to usher a reform
• Underlying tension between army and parliament in 1653


  Eventually led to Cromwell removing the Rump