--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The 'Little' or 'Barebones' Parliament…" description: "\"The 'Little' or 'Barebones' Parliament, summoned by Oliver Cromwell to meet at Westminster on 4th July, 1653, after the dissolution of the remains of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/edward-jenks-23531_4th-of-july_the-little-or-barebones-parliament-summo_879475.jpg" --- # The 'Little' or 'Barebones' Parliament, summoned by Oliver… ![“The 'Little' or 'Barebones' Parliament, summoned by Oliver Cromwell to meet at Westminster on 4th July, 1653, after the dissolution of the remains of the Long Parliament, may have been an unpractical body, so far as the task of administration in troublous times was concerned. But it seems quite…” quote by Edward Jenks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/edward-jenks-23531_4th-of-july_the-little-or-barebones-parliament-summo_879475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/edward-jenks-23531_4th-of-july_the-little-or-barebones-parliament-summo_879475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/edward-jenks-23531_4th-of-july_the-little-or-barebones-parliament-summo_879475.jpg) > “The 'Little' or 'Barebones' Parliament, summoned by Oliver Cromwell to meet at Westminster on 4th July, 1653, after the dissolution of the remains of the Long Parliament, may have been an unpractical body, so far as the task of administration in troublous times was concerned. But it seems quite possible that the wealth of contumely and scorn which has been poured upon it was, originally, due quite as much to the fierce anger of vested interests against outspoken criticism, as to any real vagueness or want of practical wisdom in the plans of the House itself.” [Edward Jenks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jenks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Barebones Parliament was seen as impractical, but criticism stemmed largely from entrenched interests fearing reform. **In simple terms:** Critics attacked it due to fear of change. Key Takeaway Recognize how power structures resist reform. Themes politics reform power dynamics Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - legislative experiments - post‑civil war governance - policy debates - historical scholarship Key Concepts elite resistance institutional inertia political legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - What lessons does this offer for modern reform movements? - How can new bodies gain legitimacy quickly? A Different Perspective Its effectiveness was limited by lack of broad support and experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Dissolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissolution/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/july/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Outspoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outspoken/) [Parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Vagueness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagueness/) [Vested interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interest/) [Vested interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vested-interests/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [“As a baby, Oliver Cromwell was abducted by his grandfather’s pet monkey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/as-a-baby-oliver-cromwell-was-abducted-by-his-grandfather-s-pet-monkey/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) moved from a legitimate to a charismatic role, reversing the course followed by Washington. Yet therewere surface similarities in their careers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/oliver-cromwell-1599-1658-moved-from-a-legitimate-to-a-charismatic/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [“Without Oliver Cromwell there might well have not been a Parliament to which Our Sovereign Lady might make her gracious address.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/without-oliver-cromwell-there-might-well-have-not-been-a-parliament/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Oliver Cromwell can kiss my singing emerald scrotum!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/oliver-cromwell-can-kiss-my-singing-emerald-scrotum/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The irony about Charles II is not that he came to the throne because England needed a successor to Charles I, but because England…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-irony-about-charles-ii-is-not-that-he-came-to-the-throne-because/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [I've been dreaming of a time when The English are sick to death of Labour and Tories And spit upon the name Oliver Cromwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/i-ve-been-dreaming-of-a-time-when-the-english-are-sick-to-death-of/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [Did you know that Puritanism went hand in hand with dirt, that Oliver Cromwell put a 100 per cent tax on soap and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/did-you-know-that-puritanism-went-hand-in-hand-with-dirt-that-oliver/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [I got four volumes of the letters and speeches of Oliver Cromwell. 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