The Protectorate

Quick Facts: Who was The Protectorate?

Subject:

The Protectorate

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A British republic (1653–1659) governing England, Scotland, and Ireland.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the British republic that lasted from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659. The kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with their associated territories were joined together in the Commonwealth of England, governed by a Lord Protector, the head of state. It began when Barebone's Parliament was dissolved, and the Instrument of Government appointed Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. Cromwell died in September 1658 and was succeeded by his son Richard Cromwell. Richard resigned in May 1659 due to his inability to control either the Army or Parliament.

Career & Major Achievements

He was replaced by the English Committee of Safety, which dissolved the Third Protectorate Parliament, and reseated the Rump Parliament dismissed by his father in April 1653. This marked the end of the Protectorate, with the Rump acting as the legislature and the English Council of State as the executive. Since 1649 until the Protectorate, England, Ireland and later Scotland had been governed as a republic by the Council of State and the Rump Parliament. The Act declaring England to be a Commonwealth, which established England, together with "all the Dominions and Territoryes thereunto belonging", as a republic, had been passed on 19 May 1649, following the trial and execution of Charles I in January of that year. All of Ireland came under the same governance after the successful Cromwellian conquest of Ireland with the appointment of a Parliamentary military governor in Dublin.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

On 20 April 1653, after learning that Parliament was attempting to stay in session despite an agreement to dissolve and having failed to come up with a working constitution, Cromwell, with the backing of the Grandees in the Army Council, marched soldiers into the debating chamber and forcibly ended the Rump's session. Within a month of the Rump's dismissal, Oliver Cromwell, on the advice of Thomas Harrison and with the support of other officers in the Army, sent a request to Congregational churches in every county to nominate those they considered fit to take part in the new government. On 4 July a Nominated Assembly, nicknamed the "Assembly of Saints" or Barebone's Parliament after one of its members, took on the role of more traditional English Parliaments. However, it proved just as difficult for the Grandees to control and was in addition a subject of popular ridicule, and so on 8 December, MPs who supported Cromwell engineered its end by passing a dissolution motion at a time of day at which the house usually had few members in attendance. Those who refused to recognise the motion were forcibly ejected by soldiers.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1649: 1649 Milestone — Since 1649 until the Protectorate, England, Ireland and later Scotland had been governed as a republic by the Council of State and the Rump Parliament.
2. 1653: 1653 Milestone — The Protectorate, officially the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the British republic that lasted from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659.
3. 1658: 1658 Milestone — Cromwell died in September 1658 and was succeeded by his son Richard Cromwell.
4. 1659: 1659 Milestone — Richard resigned in May 1659 due to his inability to control either the Army or Parliament.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: The Protectorate

True or False: “The Protectorate immediately established a fully unified British state structure encompassing all three kingdoms from its inception in 1653.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Instrument of Government extended to Scotland and Ireland, the regime's primary goal was more accurately described as the anglicisation of the British Isles rather than creating a unified 'British vision'.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arcangelo Corelli — Historical peer (Born in 1653) (1653): Pioneering Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era.
• Artemisia Gentileschi — Historical peer (Died in 1653) (1653): Master Baroque painter, renowned for dramatic depictions of female strength and myth.
• Abaza Hasan Pasha — Historical peer (Died in 1659) (1659): Ottoman governor and Celali rebel who challenged the central government in the mid-17th century.
• Abel Tasman — Historical peer (Died in 1659) (1659): Dutch explorer famed for charting Tasmania and New Zealand for the VOC.
• Elizabeth Barry — Historical peer (Born in 1658) (1658): A celebrated English actress of the Restoration period, known for tragic roles.
• Maeda Toshitsune — Historical peer (Died in 1658) (1658): Early Edo samurai and 2nd daimyō of Kaga, known for wealth and political maneuvering.
• Charles I of England — Historical peer (Died in 1649) (1649): King of England, Scotland, and Ireland; ruled during the English Civil War.
• Elihu Yale — Historical peer (Born in 1649) (1649): British colonial administrator and primary benefactor of Yale University.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Protectorate