The Commonwealth. 1649 to 1660.

1649. Charles II. proclaimed king in Scotland, and soon after in Ireland. The Commons voted that the House of Lords and the office of King should be abolished. A council of forty-one persons appointed to conduct the government. Cromwell went to Ireland, took Drogheda and Wexford by storm, and captured several other towns.

1650. Montrose appeared in arms in Scotland on behalf of Charles II., but was captured, and executed at Edinburgh. Cromwell returned from Ireland, and about a month after Charles’s arrival in Scotland, he crossed the Tweed (July), and defeated the Scots under General Leslie at Dunbar (Sept. 3).

1651. Charles crowned at Scone. He raised an army and invaded England, but was pursued by Cromwell, and defeated at Worcester (Sept. 3). After a series of perilous adventures he escaped to France. Navigation Act passed.

This act, which aimed a deadly blow at the Dutch carrying trade, forbade the importation of goods from Asia, Africa, or America, in any ships except such as belonged to English subjects, and in the case of European goods they must be imported in English ships, or in ships that were the property of the people of the country producing the goods.

1652. WAR WITH THE DUTCH. Van Tromp defeated by Blake off Dover (May 19), and an indecisive battle was fought between De Ruyter and Ayscue off Plymouth (Aug. 16). The English were victorious in the Downs (Sept. 28), and defeated in the same neighbourhood two months after (Nov. 29).

1653. The Dutch defeated with great loss off Portland (Feb. 18-20); and they were again defeated off the North Foreland (June 2, 3), and off Texel (July 31): Van Tromp killed in the last battle. Cromwell forcibly dissolved the Rump Parliament (April 20). The Little Parliament met, and about five months after surrendered their power into the hands of CROMWELL, who was declared LORD PROTECTOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH (Dec. 16).

1654. Peace concluded with Holland. Scotland incorporated with England. Cromwell called a new parliament, which met Sept. 3, and was dissolved early in the next year (Jan. 22).

1655. Capture of Jamaica. The Jews were again allowed to settle in England.

1657. A parliament, which had first assembled in 1656 (Sept. 17), offered Cromwell the title of king, which he refused. He was then empowered to name his successor, and to create a second legislative assembly.

1658. The French and English defeated the Spaniards at the Dunes, near Dunkirk (June 4). Dunkirk taken, and surrendered to the English. DEATH OF THE PROTECTOR (Sept. 3). He was succeeded by his son Richard.

1659. A new parliament assembled, but after sitting three months was dissolved by Richard Cromwell, at the request of the army leaders. He resigned the Protectorate. The Long (Rump) Parliament reassembled. The royalists attempted an insurrection, but were defeated at Nantwich. The parliament expelled by the army, and a Committee of Safety appointed; but two months later the parliament was reinstated.

1660. General Monk, the parliamentary commander in Scotland, came to London with his troops, and at his desire the members expelled by Pride were readmitted. This parliament resolved that a new parliament should assemble, and dissolved itself. The Convention Parliament met, and Charles, who was residing at Breda, and with whom Monk had been lately holding communications, sent, at his suggestion, a letter containing the Declaration from Breda. CHARLES RECALLED. His restoration dates from his public entry into London (May 29).

In the Declaration from Breda he promised, among other things,—1. A general pardon to all persons, save those who should be afterwards excepted by parliament, who should return to their obedience within 40 days. 2. That all differences about the grants, sales, and purchases of estates should be settled in a free parliament. 3. That no man should be disquieted for differences of opinion in religion that did not disturb the peace of the kingdom.

Principal Commanders.—Ireton, Monk, Lambert, Desborough, Fleetwood, generals; Blake, Penn, Venables, Ayscue, admirals.