16A

The Instrument of Government

A written constitution in 1653 that established a Lord Protector as Head of State, a single-chamber Parliament, restricted voting rights, and a standing army.

Cromwell's Protectorate Aims

Cromwell aimed for healing and settling, political stability, and godly reformation during the Protectorate, emphasizing reconciliation, power division, and religious tolerance.

First Protectorate Parliament

The Parliament called in 1654 under the Instrument of Government faced challenges over legitimacy, leading to its dissolution due to debates on Cromwell's authority and religious toleration.

Major-Generals Rule

Cromwell established military-based rule by Major-Generals in 1655 to address security threats, facing opposition from the Political Nation due to military rule, local government interference, social upheaval, and high taxation.

Religion and Radicalism

The New Model Army maintained strong connections with religious radicals, with some Major-Generals being radicals themselves, causing concern among conservatives and moderates about the potential protection and encouragement of radicalism, which could destabilize the state by challenging accepted social norms.

Quakers

The significant rise in the number of Quakers during this period indicated a validation of fears regarding the protection and promotion of radicalism, posing a threat to the stability of the state.

Major-Generals' Contradictory Goals

The Major-Generals, a political experiment by Cromwell, aimed at achieving 'healing and settling', 'Godly Reformation', and reducing financial burdens through the Army, leading to high taxes and a constant military presence for enforcement.

Law Enforcement and Moral Reform

The Major-Generals succeeded in maintaining law and order and suppressing security threats, but their efforts to reform the nation's morals varied regionally based on individual officers' zeal, resulting in no lasting impact.

Legacy of Major-Generals

The brief period of the Major-Generals negatively impacted the reputation of the Republic and Cromwell, symbolizing the severe Puritan repression with military rule and forced moral reform, often depicted as tyrannical despots ruling oppressively (though modern historians offer a more nuanced perspective).