He rose to power from a humble background to the position of Lord and was an instrumental leadership of the Puritans and the shakers. This group he led became increasingly influential and served to oppose the kings money orders which culminated to the English civil war which Cromwell commanded successfully and won on the side of the puritan parliamentarian. after the civil war and death warrant of Charles I, Cromwell became the head of state and government of the new republic until his death.