Political arguments behind the war held that the Stuart monarchy had constrained England's commercial growth. Landowners depended on long-term investment in roads, canals, farming, and mining, while the Commons articulated the concerns of merchants and other commercial groups. Wealthy networks could support effective parliamentary spokesmen without abandoning their own businesses. The attack on Spanish trade was therefore a domestic economic program as well as a foreign war.
Notable Point · 3:01-5:50
The commercial coalition behind Cromwell's war
The Protectorate's foreign policy reflects the priorities of landowners, merchants, financiers, and their parliamentary representatives.