Richard Cromwell's Parliament

Abstract

Richard Cromwell was Lord Protector for less than nine months, and his only Parliament consisted of a single session lasting under three months. Although Richard had been a member of both the first and second Protectorate Parliaments, he lacked his father’s extended parliamentary experience. Nevertheless, Richard’s relations with his Parliament deserve close examination. This talk will explore why Richard called a Parliament, his relationship with that Parliament, and the reasons why it ultimately failed.