Months after its inception, the new English Commonwealth embarked on a series of wars. Beginning with the invasion of Ireland in 1649, the republic moved on to the invasion of Scotland in 1650 and the first Anglo-Dutch war in 1652. The Cromwellian Protectorate continued in this vein, undertaking the Western Design and Anglo-Spanish war in 1655. For a time it appeared Cromwell might intervene in religious conflicts on the continent as well. This book examines the ways in which the media shaped and marketed war, empire and political policies in the 1650s. In so doing this study also explores the interrelation of news, print and political cultures and the conduct of public debate. To enable close analysis of these relationships and strategies the book focuses on a series of case studies: the establishment of the republic; the Cromwellian invasion and conquest of Scotland; imperialism, the Western Design and the conquest of Jamaica; the broader Anglo-Spanish war stretching across both sides of the Atlantic; and international religious conflict. Exploration of these different episodes affords an excellent opportunity to examine the ways the media shaped, and were shaped by, political developments and concerns. These were controversial wars and the regimes of the 1650s hoped to maximize popular support. In ‘selling’ these wars, the media were instrumental.

In studying war one of the first questions historians tend to ask is: ‘What was the conflict about?’ To answer this question it is common for historians to try to tease out the ‘true’ motives and aspirations of politicians and military men. Such efforts have produced lively debates over Cromwell's aims and intentions in war and empire. One particular point of scholarly conflict has been the role of religion in Cromwell's foreign and imperial policies: were his religious goals sincere, or did he use religious rhetoric to camouflage underlying strategic and economic aims? Historians have reached differing conclusions. In part this is due to the nature of the extant source material. While Cromwell generated a large number of official documents, correspondence and directives, he left few unofficial personal accounts and reflections and no diary or journal.