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Why was Oliver Cromwell important to British history?

English soldier and statesman Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) was a major figure in a chain of events that shaped modern British government. The events began when King Charles I (1600–1649), a member of the House of Stuart (English ruling family), ascended the throne in 1625. Shortly thereafter he married French princess Henrietta Maria (1609–1669), who was a Roman Catholic. At that time there was intense conflict between Protestants, members of a Christian faith that had been formed through separation from the Roman Catholic Church (a religion based in Rome, Italy, and headed by a pope) and Catholics. Although the Church of England (a Protestant religion) was the official religion in Britain, many people feared the return of a Catholic ruler to the throne, so they felt threatened by the king's marriage to Henrietta Maria. His main Protestant...

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