1. What were Oliver Cromwell’s motivations?

2. Based on your previous work, create a timeline of the life of Oliver Cromwell. You will need to include events from the Civil War, the Commonwealth and the Protectorate.
1628
MP for Huntingdon
1649
Supports trial and execution of the King  - January
Commands army sent to crush Ireland - August
1650
Commands army sent to crush Scotland - July
1653
Dissolves Parliament - 20th April
Becomes Lord Protector - 16th December
1657
Rejects Parliament's offer of the crown and remains Lord Protector, March - June
1658
Dies at Whitehall - 3rd September
1661
Exhumed and posthumously 'executed' - 30th January

3. Add it to your timeline of Cromwell’s life (in a different colour).
Have a look at the letters and portraits. As you study each one, you need to do the following:
Add it to your timeline of Cromwell’s life (in a different colour).
What does it tell us about Cromwell’s motivations?

4. British half-crown (1658), bearing head of Cromwell in classical style
British half-crown (1658), bearing head of Cromwell in classical style. Inscription: OLIVAR[IVS]·D[EI]·G[RATIA]·R[EI]P[VBLICAE]·ANG[LIAE]·SCO[TIAE]·ET·HIB[ERNIAE]&cPRO[TECTOR] / Oliver, by the grace of God and of the Republic, of England, Scotland, and Ireland etc. Protector.

5. Cromwell on horseback with London in the background c 1655

6. Full length portrait of Oliver Cromwell by Walker c 1650

7. Oliver Cromwell by Sir Peter Lely, c. 1653
Oliver Cromwell by Sir Peter Lely, c Cromwell famously told Lely to paint him ‘warts and all’.

8. Cromwell on horseback copied from Van Dyck's painting of Charles I
Cromwell on horseback copied from Van Dyck's painting of Charles I. This print, by Pierre Lombart, was produced in several different versions in the 1650s.

9. Portrait print of Oliver Cromwell c 1652

10. This picture was painted by Robert Walker in 1649
This picture was painted by Robert Walker in Walker is known chiefly for his portraits of Cromwell and his circle

11. Portrait of Oliver Cromwell with chain round neck late 17th or early 18th Century

12. Consider the following questions ready for discussion:
Having looked at the portraits and letters of Cromwell, what do they tell us about his motivations?
Colour-code your timeline to show the different motivations e.g. religion, reliance on the army, personal interest
Consider the following questions ready for discussion:
Do the motivations highlighted in the portraits and letters correspond with the events of Cromwell’s life?
Do Cromwell’s motivations change over time?
To what extent was Cromwell driven by contemporary events rather than his own personal beliefs?