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.