Oliver Cromwell

Hero?

Worthy of a statue outside

parliament?

or

Villain?

Sneaky guy, who killed a king just to get the crown for

himself?

How can we make a decision?

He killed 3,000 Irish people for no

reason – he’s a murderer!

Nonsense! He was a soldier! People die in

war – you can’t blame Cromwell for

all the deaths.He was aiming at the throne all the time. He killed the king, then chucked out

parliament and made himself Lord protector.

No! He never wanted to rule. He tried over and

over again to get Charles to compromise. And he did keep calling parliaments, he tried to

give them power.Confused?

Let’s start with an easy one…

How would you find out about this person?

Well – the best way is to ask

people who know her…

She’s wonderful

!She’s

funny and kind and clever.

She’s a really good

teacher. She

makes you think.

She is very ambitious –

and she doesn’t care

who she hurts on her way up

to the top. She’s just in it

for herself.

She’s a terrible teacher. She’s

bossy and shouts all the

time.

What do you need to know about these people in order to work out

how much you can trust them?

How much can you trust the witnesses?

What do we do???

She’s wonderful

!She’s

funny and kind and clever.

She’s a really good

teacher. She

makes you think.

She is very ambitious –

and she doesn’t care

who she hurts on her way up

to the top. She’s just in it

for herself.

She’s a terrible teacher. She’s

bossy and shouts all the

time.

Her boyfriend

A pupil who just got A*

in GCSE History

A pupil who just got a detention from herThe teacher who applied for the

same job as her but did not get it

ProvenanceThis is a very important word in History.

It means the BACKGROUND of the source.

It means who made the source, when, and why?

If you know about the person who said the source, you can see if they had a reason to like or dislike the person they are talking about.

If you know the provenance of a source, you can work out how much to trust it!

Bias / BiasedThis is another important word in History.

It means ‘one-sided’. If you are biased, it means you have a certain viewpoint.

Biased sources have more OPINIONS than facts

Who would be a biased and an unbiased witness about Ms Munro????

You CAN still trust a biased source

BUT you have to be careful

It will only give PART of the story

You need to sort out what is FACT and what is OPINION

So…back to Oliver Cromwell

When we want to know about Cromwell, we need to look at sources about him.

The sources are written and drawn by people who knew him.

What do we need to know about the sources before we can work out how much to trust

them?

Exercis

e!

Yes – provenance!

We need to know who made the sources.

Cromwell promised to spare the lives of the

soldiers who surrendered. But when they did

surrender, he gave out the word that there was to be no mercy. He slaughtered

all the men.

The Irish soldiers were given every opportunity to

surrender, but they refused. Some were

executed, others were taken prisoner. Anyway, the Irish had massacred

Protestants so it was just revenge.

One of these sources is by the leader of the Irish troops, who Cromwell defeated.

One is by a soldier who was with Cromwell.

Which is which – and how can you tell?

EXERCISE

Fit the people to the sources. Then answer the questions.

Without doubt no man ever got so much power so wickedly.

A greater soul never lived

He took all power to himself. He pretended to work with parliaments, but really all he wanted was to get rid of them.

He would rather have been a shepherd than a ruler, but he was the only man who could keep order.

He was a man who betrayed the men who had fought with him

He was practical He stopped the Levellers because their plans would cause chaos.

Lucy HutchinsonHer husband was an MP who was thrown out of his job by Cromwell.

Peter GauntSomeone who did not meet Cromwell, but who studied his life in detail

John LilburneLeader of the Levellers, who Cromwell defeated

John HopkinsCromwell’s servant, who was with him for most of his life.

Lord Clarendon A close friend of king Charles I & King Charles II

Thomas BurtonA soldier who acted as Cromwell’s secretary

This picture shows Cromwell ordering

his wild and undisciplined troops to pull

down the ‘royal oak of Britain’ – a

tree that symbolises all the

traditions of Britain.

Do you think it was drawn by an enemy or a supporter of Cromwell?

How can you tell???

Cromwell tried to persuade the army officers to agree to him becoming king. He offered bribes

and threats.Edmund Ludlow

A soldier who at first supported Cromwell, but who turned against him when Cromwell became Lord

Protector.

How reliable do you think this source is?

How far can you trust it?

WHY?

How does this poster show Cromwell?

Does he look heroic or

villainous?

Who do you think made it?

How can you tell?