Cromwells major-generals Godly government during the English Revolution

by Durston, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780719060656
• ISBN10: 0719060656
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-05-17
• Publisher: MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY PRESS

Summary

Christopher Durston's full-scale study ambitiously documents the history behind what remains today, a powerful symbol of military rule. He explores the motivations behind the decisions to appoint the major-generals, looking at their careers and personalities. Durston pays particular attention to the collection of the decimation tax, the attempt to improve the security of the regime, and the struggle to build a godly nation. He concludes with an investigation of the 1656 election and the major-generals' subsequent fall from power.

Author Biography

Christopher Durston is Reader in History at St. Mary's College, Twickenham.

Table of Contents

List of Maps and Tables	viii
Acknowledgements	ix
List of Abbreviations	x
Introduction: background and historiography	1	(14)
The system: origins and construction	15	(23)
The men: backgrounds, careers and beliefs	38	(21)
The helpers: the commissioners for securing the peace of the commonwealth	59	(14)
New local government and old local government	73	(24)
The decimation tax	97	(30)
Securing the peace of the commonwealth	127	(27)
The struggle for the godly nation	154	(33)
The major-generals and the 1656 election	187	(19)
Defeat at Westiminster and fall from power	206	(22)
Conclusion	228	(6)
Postscript: The major-generals' later careers	234	(6)
Select Bibliography	240	(11)
Index	251