Barebone's Parliament

Timeline

1. 1653Westminster, London · LondonAfter dissolving the Rump in April, Cromwell, in the name of the Council of Officers, nominated about 140 Puritan representatives to form a new parliament, which convened on 4 July; members were nominated by local churches and the army rather than elected, and radical religious reform was its foremost aim.
2. 1653Westminster, London · LondonThe radical faction proposed abolishing common law, abolishing tithes, and enacting thorough religious reform, provoking strong opposition from moderates and conservative officers; the split between radicals and moderates grew so severe that no effective legislation could be passed and the situation reached deadlock.
3. 1653Westminster, London · LondonTaking advantage of the absence of radical members, moderate members hastily passed a resolution returning power to Cromwell, and the parliament was immediately dissolved; within days Cromwell accepted the Instrument of Government and was formally installed as Lord Protector on 16 December, establishing the English Protectorate.