1. 1455-1485: Civil War of 35 Years

2.   England found itself in turmoil.  The war had seriously weakened the monarchy.  The war had drained much of the nations treasury.  Monarchs had given more and more power to Parliament. (In France, the opposite happened) England After the Hundred Years’ War

3.  England Developed Two Warring Families  The House of Lancaster  Lancastrians  Was the ruling family at the time. Included Henry IV, V, and VI  Family bore the emblem of a red rose  The House of York  Yorkists  Saw the king’s weakened state as an opportunity to seize power. And take the role of king  Family represented by a white rose.

4.   Began when Henry IV deposed of Richard II  Henry IV was the son of John Gaunt (the 3 rd son of Edward III)  Carried the line of kings from Henry IV, V, and VI  Henry VI went through periods of insanity which caused the nobles to question whether he was the rightful heir to the throne. The Lancastrians

5.   Became king when he was only an infant  Lawlessness was common after the Hundred Years War  Nobles with private armies dominated the countryside  Taxation was burdensome  Simple minded, probably insane  Subject to the wills of his ambitious queen Margaret of Anjou Henry VI’s Downfall

6.   Had occupied the throne in 1399, with Edward III  Family line was angry at the Lancasters and looked to take advantage of Henry VI’s weaknesses.  Richard Duke of York claimed he should have the throne due to a female line through Edward III’s son, Edmund of York.  The War of the Roses tested rules of succession The Yorkists

8.   In 1453 Henry VI lapsed into insanity.  Richard Neville, the earl of Warwick, also known as the Kingmaker installed Richard Duke of York as King.  In May 1455 Margaret of Anjou called a council to discuss the issue over the two families.  The Council of 1455 excluded the York family from the throne and began the Civil War that would divide the monarchy and nobility for over 30 years in England.  The York family was forced to take up arms for self protection. The Spark

9.  Phase One (1455-1461) Yorkist Victories, Lancastrian Rebuttle, and Lancastrian Failure

10.  Battle of St. Albans  May 22, 1455  The first battle of the war  Resulted in a Yorkist victory and four years of an uneasy truce.  War resumed in 1459

11.  Battle of Blore Heath  September 23, 1459  Yorkist victory!

12.  Skirmish of Ludford Bridge  October 12, 1459  The Yorkists were scattered by the Lancasters  Richard Neville (earl of Warwick) had to take his forces to France to regroup

13.  The Battle of Northampton  July 10, 1459  Richard Neville (Earl of Warwick) returned with the Yorkists.  They won the battle and asserted their claim to put Richard Duke of York on the throne.

14.   Tried to claim the throne after the Battle of Northampton  Gave into inheriting the throne once Henry VI died  It disinherited Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou’s son, Edward of Lancaster  It caused Margaret of Anjou to continue her opposition Richard Duke of York

15.  Wakefield and London  In December (1460) the Lancastrians marched, surprised, and killed Richard Duke of York at Wakefield with commands from Margaret of Anjou.  They then marched to London, defeating Richard Earl of Warwick at the Second Battle of St. Albans (Feb. 1461)

16.  Meanwhile…  Richard Duke of York’s Eldest son, Edward IV, defeated a Lancastrian force at Mortimer’s Cross  He then marched to save and defend London from the Lancasters, especially Margaret of Anjou.

17.  Edward IV is Crowned King  1. He went on to defeat the Lancastrians at Towton, driving out Margaret of Anjou.  2. Margaret, Henry VI, and their son Edward of Lancaster flee to Scotland.  3. On March 4 th, 1461 the citizens and soldiers in London recognize him as king.  4. On June 28 th,1461 he was crowned.

18.  Phase Two (1469-1483) Disputes in Yorkist Ranks

20.  Yorkist Disputes  Richard Earl of Warwick VS. Edward IV’s Court.  In 1469 tension rose so highly that Warwick began to plot for another Civil War, this time Yorkists vs. Yorkists

21.   1. Edward IV’s rebellious brother, George Duke of Clarence  2. The French King, Louis XI  3. Margaret of Anjou, his old enemy! Where did Richard Earl of Warwick find support?

22.   1. Defeated Edward IV’s supporters in northern England  2. Took Edward IV prisoner  3. When Edward IV regained his freedom and control, Richard and George fled to France  4. While there they made alliances with Louis XI and Margaret of Anjou  5. They returned to England, deposed of Edward IV, and placed Henry VI back on the throne! How did Richard Earl of Warwick take control?

23.   1. He fled to the Netherlands with his followers and secured Burgundian Aid.  2. He returned to England in 1471  3. At the Battle of Barnett, Edward IV outmaneuvered Warwick, and regained the support of his brother.  4. Hearing the news Margaret of Anjou tried to march west to the safety of Wales.  5. She didn’t make it. How did Edward IV fight back?

24.  The Fate of Henry VI’s Family  1. Margaret of Anjou and her family were captured at Tewkesbury  2. Her only son, Edward of Lancaster, was killed  3. Henry VI was murdered in the Tower of London  4. Margaret went to live with her family in France and died in 1482  Edward IV secured the throne for the rest of his life (he died in 1483)

25.  Phase Three (1483-1485) The Yorkists Feud Again, and the War Ends

27.   When Edward IV died, his son Edward V was only 12 years old.  Richard III (the brother of Edward IV) took the throne as lord protector to “help” Edward V.  Instead of helping he:  1. Took Edward V and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury to lodgings in the Tower of London.  2. Edward IV’s marriage was declared invalid and his two sons were declared illegitimate  3. Edward V was NOT crowned king, as planned, on July 6, 1483 After Edward IV

28.  Legend of the Princes in the Tower  Edward V (12) and Richard Shrewsbury (9) were put in the Tower of London by their protector.  Richard took the throne for himself and the boys were never heard from again  Unclear what happened, but most people assume that the princes were murdered.

30.   In 1674 workmen began preparation for some rebuilding work on the White Tower at the Tower of London.  While they were clearing away rubble at the base of a staircase they unearthed a grisly find; two skeletons, small enough to suggest that they were those of two youths.  The instant assumption made at the time was that these were the skeletons of Edward and Richard, the Princes in the Tower. Bones found in 1674

31.  King Richard III  Was crowned in July 1483  In October 1483 a rebellion was raised against Richard III which eroded Richard’s power and support amongst the nobles.  This was the beginning of the end of his reign.

32.   His paternal Grandfather was Owen Tudor who had been a page in the court of Henry V.  He secretly married Henry V’s wife, Catherine of Valois when he died.  Their son was Edmund Tudor who was declared legitimate by parliament and made Earl of Richmond. (This was Henry VII father)  Henry VII also had a claim to throne on his mother’s side. Margaret Beaufort was the great granddaughter of John of Gaunt. Richard III’s Rival: Henry VII

33.   In August 1485, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who was a Lancastrian claimant to the throne living in France, landed in South Wales.  He marched east and engaged Richard in battle on Bosworth Field in Leicestershire on 22 August.  Although Richard possessed superior numbers, several of his key lieutenants defected.  Refusing to flee, Richard was killed in battle and Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII. Henry VII Takes Power

34.  Debatable end to the War of the Roses  MOST people say that the war ended in 1485  SOME claim that it ended in 1487.  A man named Lambert Simnel claimed to be the Earl of Warwick, threatening Henry VII.  Henry VII easily crushed him which is why many historians do not count it.  Lambert Simnel is now known as “The Pretender”

35.  Henry VII Cements his Claim  Married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV. Joining the two sides and ending the war of the roses.  He ruled for 24 years, founded the Tudor dynasty, and was peacefully succeeded by his son Henry VIII  Henry VII began the Tudor Dynasty