The barebones parliament

On April 20, 1653, with the help of the army, Oliver Cromwell expelled the Long Parliament of the Commonwealth of England after nearly thirteen years of sitting. When this had been accomplished, England was without a legally constituted government. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Cromwell assumed the leadership of the country. He was assisted in this task by the Council of State whose composition included some army officers. But, Cromwell realized that England could not go on indefinitely without a parliament. He, therefore, began to explore the possibilities of getting a new body of representatives to take over the place of the one which he had dissolved. In order for a person to qualify to serve as a representative of a county, he had to be a "God-fearing" man whose record testified to that effect. With godliness established as a criterion, he set out to select members for the new assembly. Those who qualified were summoned, instructed, and urged to meet in the Council Chamber at Whitehall on July 4, 1653