Oh the Iron(side)y! Part II

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth

Now Cromwell was still somewhat unknown to the world, but that would change rather quickly. Because of his position in Parliament, he was given command of a cavalry troop. These well trained and organized troops soon became known throughout as the "Ironsides," the unbeatable cavalry under Cromwell. After the Battle of Marston Moor, Cromwell expanded his command into an army, using his cavalry troops as its foundation. Cromwell began running his army in a revolutionary manner. Officers were promoted based upon merit instead of social position; men were trained thoroughly and equipped well; and all troops were chosen mainly upon their religious convictions and their protestant fervor. This New Model Army, as it was soon called, quickly showed its effectiveness as Cromwell beat back the king's forces, winning significant victories at Edgehill and Naseby. Things appeared to be calming down after the Parliamentarians captured the king and won the First English Civil War. But, Charles I soon escaped and recruited the Scottish army with a promise for church reform leaning towards the Scottish Presbyterian Church. This war did not last long, and the king was soon recaptured in two years' time. This led to the trial of King Charles I for treason, something that had never been done before. Prior to Charles' attempt at defeating the Parliamentarians with the Scots, most of the Parliamentary forces agreed that they were only going to decrease the power of the crown. But, many Parliamentarians felt that the king's pact was an act of treason, and so a Rump Parliament called for his trial. 59 commissioners, or judges, summarily tried and executed the king on the 30th of January 1649, for high treason as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy." Parliament then ruled England, at the time one of the few European countries without a monarch, in the form of a Republic, modeled upon Calvin and Knoxs' Presbyterian Church government. However, due to infighting among the various factions of the Parliament, Cromwell felt he must intervene, with the power of the army behind him, and declared himself Lord Protector in 1653. It is interesting to note that as Lord Protector, Cromwell had more power than he would as king, since the power of the monarch had been curtailed throughout the years, while the new position of Lord Protector had no such limitations. Never before nor since has a regular man become so powerful in England. Cromwell led the country for the next five years of his life, until he died in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Now we reach our moment of irony. Cromwell was, above all, a devout Puritan. As such, he abolished all activities that were thought of as sins, causes of sin, or distraction from important things, such as worship and work. This meant that such things as theater, inns, sports, swearing, and inappropriate clothing were all made illegal, under penalty of fines or even imprisonment. Hopefully, you see now why a casino in Las Vegas named after the most powerful English commoner in history seems rather funny.

Oh the Iron(side)y! Part I

King Charles I Dissolution of the Long Parliament

I recently came across an advertisement for a new casino and resort in Las Vegas by the name of the Cromwell. I was taken aback by this at first. By far the most famous Cromwell in history is Oliver Cromwell who became the most powerful man in British Isles that ever was. Born in 1599, Cromwell grew to be a devout Puritan. Being such, he held strict views on how one should behave, worship (disavowing the many symbols of the Catholic church), and be governed. He began as a rather obscure character, becoming a Member of Parliament from 1628 till 1629, when Charles I dissolved Parliament, instead wanting to rule as the absolute monarchs of old. This upset many further who already felt Charles I had Catholic leanings, which threatened many in the British Isles who felt they were one of the few true strongholds of Protestantism against the strength of Rome. At this time in English history, the monarch's absolute powers had been curtailed, giving some power over to Parliament, such as the power to levy taxes. This meant that Charles needed money, especially after his costly campaign against the Scots in 1639, so he called Parliament back into session including Cromwell. This Parliament lasted only three weeks before it was dissolved, due to the MP's attempts to limit Charles and his supporters' powers. In reaction Charles dissolved it, thus cementing its name as the "Short Parliament." But, finding he still needed their power, he recalled Parliament on the 3rd of November 1640. Now Parliament continued to try to weaken the power of Charles and his advisers, but relations did appear to improve as Charles agreed to certain measures and things seemed to calm down with the Scots. But, when the Scots once again invaded, Charles believed that some of the more vocal MPs were actually working with the Scots. He demanded Parliament hand over 5 members on the grounds of treason. When Parliament refused, he decided to take them by force. But the members were warned and fled London, while the king entered the House of Commons. After his failed attempt to arrest the members, which was a severe overreach in his powers, Parliament was quick to act, seizing London and forcing the king to flee. The English Civil War had begun.

The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

George V Sweeping Out His German Titles

During the turbulent days of World War I, anger towards the enemy and anything that could be familiarized with it was common. This seems to be a natural reaction in times of war, when people are bent upon the domination of their foes by force, any semblance of their enemies at home is usually treated with hostility. It was such motivation that led to the creation of the House of Windsor, which still rules today in Britain through Queen Elizabeth II. Anti-German sentiment was on the rise in England, especially after the introduction of a new heavy German bomber in 1917, that was capable of crossing the channel and attacking London directly. Then king, George V was cousin to his German enemy Kaiser Wilhelm II through their grandparents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Their first daughter became the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm, while their first son became the father of King George. This meant that George V inherited the title of House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha through the male line as was tradition. Now here he was, leading his country in the fight against his German cousin, the "Hun", in the name of England, while he himself held a German title! So, George felt he needed to be English, not just in reality only, but also in name. An official proclamation was made, and the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the House of Windsor, possibly chosen for its ties to Windsor Castle a famous royal residence. Upon hearing of his cousins' name-change, Kaiser Wilhelm II is reported to have quipped that he planned to see "The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha."

The First Commercial Steam-Powered Railroad

The Salamanca

The Middleton Railway boasts an interesting history. The one mile long railway has been running longer than the United States has existed. Founded in 1758, it has been run by volunteers since 1960 as a heritage site. Located in West Yorkshire, England, the railway was originally made to transport coal to Leeds and was called a Wagon-Way. It was called such because it originally carried wagons pulled by horses on the wooden tracks. The Railway's claim to fame came in 1812, when it changed out the wagon system for a new steam-engine locomotive. The manager of the railway, John Blenkinsop, felt that they would need new rails for the engine to overcome the steep hills. So Blenkinsop designed and patented a railway which had one rail that was toothed like a gear. He then asked Matthew Murray, a successful innovator, to design a locomotive with a pinion, a toothed wheel, to mesh with the track. Murray built the Salamanca, the first steam locomotive to use two cylinders. Murray and Blenkinsop's inventions made this the first successful cog railway in the world! The Salamanca became the first successfully operated commercial steam locomotive in the world in 1812, and with it brought many other first-time world records to Middleton. Unfortunately some of these were terrible and unwanted records, such as the first person to be killed by locomotive in 1813. Another series of misfortune came again in 1818 and 1834 when boiler explosions occurred, killing the first ever regular locomotive driver, James Hewitt. Steam was abandoned after this in favor of horse-drawn wagons, until 1866 when new engines were introduced. The railway continued operating for many years, connecting to other rails and switching hands, until volunteers took over the small section in order to make a living history railway. The fascinating history of the Middleton Railway gives us a brief glimpse into the makings of the incredible machines that have and continue to transport and connect the world.