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Year 8

Oliver Cromwell: The Interregnum and Protectorate

I can explain how Cromwell ruled over England and the changes he implemented.

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New
New
Year 8

Oliver Cromwell: The Interregnum and Protectorate

I can explain how Cromwell ruled over England and the changes he implemented.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The years from 1649 - 1660 when England was a republic are known as the Interregnum.
  2. Oliver Cromwell became the most powerful figure in England during the Interregnum.
  3. Puritans hoped to make England a more godly country.
  4. Sects like the Fifth Monarchists emerged but often opposed the actions of the government.
  5. Cromwell's rule was unpopular as he reduced the power of Parliament and relied heavily on the army.

Common misconception

Parliament ruled the country for the whole Interregnum period.

Parliament ruled the country at the start of the Interregnum but was dismissed, recomposed, and ruled without at other times after 1652.

Keywords

  • Republic - a republic is a country without a monarch

  • MP - an MP is a Member of Parliament; MPs help to make laws

  • Reform - a reform is a change made in order to improve something

  • Protectorate - the Protectorate was the system of government set up by Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army in 1653

  • Sect - a sect is a group of people with a set of, often extreme, religious beliefs

Pupils may appreciate parliamentary displeasure with Cromwell's actions more effectively with the benefit of comparisons. Cromwell may be compared to the actions of Charles I in dismissing and storming into Parliament in 1629 and 1642.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the key words with their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:purge,removing something you don't agree with

removing something you don't agree with

Correct Answer:martyr,person who died for their beliefs and gains respect for that

person who died for their beliefs and gains respect for that

Correct Answer:New Model Army,English army which fought for Parliament

English army which fought for Parliament

Q2.
What word is used to describe the execution of Charles I in 1649?
purge
Correct answer: regicide
civil war
conflict
Q3.
Write the missing word. Puritans were more likely to fight for the _______ during the Civil Wars.
Correct Answer: Parliamentarians, parliamentarians, parliament, Roundheads, Parliament
Q4.
What is more likely if a pamphlet described the regicide as ‘murder’?
The pamphlet did not care about Parliament and the army’s actions.
Correct answer: The pamphlet opposed Parliament and the army’s actions.
The pamphlet supported Parliament and the army’s actions.
Q5.
Why did the New Model Army purge Parliament in 1648?
Because it believed there were too many members of Parliament
Correct answer: Because it worried that many MPs would return the king to power
Because many MPs in 1648 were Catholics
Because they had fought on different sides during the Civil Wars
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort these events into chronological order.
1 - First Civil War begins
2 - Charles I surrenders
3 - Second Civil War begins
4 - 'Pride’s Purge'
5 - Regicide of Charles I

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match up each of the key words with its correct definition.
Correct Answer:Interregnum,period of time when England had no monarch

period of time when England had no monarch

Correct Answer:Protectorate,government set up by Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army

government set up by Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army

Correct Answer:Puritan,person with very strict Protestant beliefs

person with very strict Protestant beliefs

Correct Answer:sect,groups with a set of, often extreme, religious beliefs

groups with a set of, often extreme, religious beliefs

Q2.
Which one of these activities did the Protectorate try to stop during the Rule of the Major-Generals?
farming
praying
Correct answer: theatre
trade
Q3.
What kind of members were picked to be part of the Barebones Parliament?
Correct answer: People considered to be very religious
People with good army experience
People with good legal knowledge
People who had fought for the Royalists
Q4.
Oliver Cromwell had _______ religious beliefs.
Correct Answer: Puritan, puritan
Q5.
Why did Cromwell become so powerful during the Interregnum?
Correct answer: He was part of both Parliament and the New Model Army
He was both a Parliamentarian and a Royalist
He was both a Royalist and part of the New Model Army
Q6.
Which vision from Anna Trapnel’s "Cry of a Stone" pamphlet shows most clearly that she disliked Cromwell’s rule?
Described Cromwell as having the support of many others
Described Cromwell with the body of an animal
Correct answer: Described God ending the Protectorate

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