I want to look now at the three main approaches historians have taken towards the English Revolution or Civil War. There is a fourth point of view, taken up by most school children when they first meet the subject, but it can hardly be called historical. On the one hand, school children tend to have a romantic image of the Cavaliers, who were supporters of the monarchy, as aristocratic, charming, flashily dressed, and up for a bit of fun. On the other hand, they tend to regard the Roundheads or Puritans, who were followers of Oliver Cromwell, as miserable, working class, dressed in black, and insisting on a life without luxuries. It isn't difficult then to takes sides.
The first approach, which prevailed up until the middle of the 20th century, was that the Revolution was part of the age old battle between parliament and the monarchy, with parliament representing the traditional rights of Englishmen against the attempt by the Royal Family to increase its power and dictate Jaw. In reaction to this, the second approach saw it as a working-class revolution and an important stage in the development of capitalism.