Protectorate

Name of the British government from 1653 to 1659, as established by the Instrument of Government. Head of state was the Lord Protector, a position first held by Oliver Cromwell from December 16, 1653 to September 3, 1658, and later, after the Humble Petition and Advice in 1657, gave Cromwell, among other things, the right to name his successor, by his son Richard Cromwell. Richard resigned in 1659. Following the Protectorate was the Restoration of Charles II.

During the Protectorate Cromwell as head of state together with parliament passed more than 80 ordinances in domestic policy. Main aims of his reign were to reform the law, set up the Puritan Church, promote education and foremost to decentralize administration.

Sources

Woolrych, Austin. Commonwealth to Protectorate. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982.

"Protectorate". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 20.Jul.2009.

"Instrument of Government". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 20.Jul.2009.