Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntington on April 25, 1599, to Robert and Elizabeth Cromwell. Although not a direct descendant of Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell's great-great-grandfather Morgan Williams married Thomas' sister Katherine in 1497. It was the children of Morgan and Katherine who took the surname Cromwell in honor of their uncle. Although Cromwell's later life in the military and politics is well documented, his early family life is not. It was not until the 1640s that he had the opportunity to rise to power. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayEducated at Huntingdon High School and then at the Puritan-influenced Sidney Sussex College, Cromwell initially won his life as a small landowner, farmer and collecting rents after the death of his father. While overseeing his father's lands, Cromwell briefly studied law at Lincoln's Inn of Court in London, where he met his wife Elizabeth. From his small income, Cromwell supported his wife, children and widowed mother. Cromwell moved to St Ives in 1631 and then to Ely in 1636 after inheriting his wealthy uncle's estate. The rise in status, as well as the commitment to the Puritan way of life, came at a time of extreme political and religious unrest in England. In the summer of 1642, the first English civil war broke out between the royalists, supporters of the king. Charles I who argued that the king should have absolute power as his divine right as king, and parliamentarians who favored a constitutional monarchy. From the beginning, Cromwell was a member of the Parliamentary army. He was promoted to second in command as lieutenant general of the Eastern Association Army, followed by further promotion to second in command of the New Model Army in 1645. When the Civil War resumed In 1648, Cromwell's military successes showed his political influence for In December 1648, England saw a division between those who wished to support the king and those, like Cromwell, who believed that the only way to stop the war was through trial and execution of Charles. Cromwell was the third of 59 to sign Charles' death warrant. After the king's execution in 1649, the Council of State replaced the monarchy. Cromwell led military campaigns to establish control of Ireland and later Scotland in 1650. This ended the civil war with a parliamentary victory and Cromwell was appointed Lord General of the parliamentary armed forces. In December 1653, Cromwell became Lord Protector until his death. He later rejected Parliament's offer of the crown, preferring to describe himself as a "constable or guardian" of the Commonwealth. Cromwell's role as first Lord Protector was similar to that of a monarch. However, the Constitution of the Instrument of Government decrees that it must receive a majority vote of the Council of State if it wants to dissolve a parliament, thus establishing the precedent that an English monarch cannot rule without the consent of Parliament . Cromwell is believed to have suffered from kidney disease. stones in 1658 following malaria fever. His death was caused by sepsis brought on by the infection. He was buried in a newly created vault in Henry VII's Chapel at Westminster Abbey. After Cromwell's death, his son Richard succeeded him as Lord Protector. However, Richard lacked the political and military power of his father and his forced resignation in 1659 effectively ended the protectorate. The lack of clear leadership from the Commonwealth led to the restoration of the.