1. Beyond Game of Thrones: Recent Research on the Wars of the Roses and the Tudors
Dr Eliza Hartrich
Teaching History at Post-16 and Beyond
University of Sheffield
26 June 2017

3. 1880s-1945: The Institutional Approach
Social order is ensured by strong central government institutions (Privy Council, Exchequer, etc.) working with parliament
Narratives associated with this school of thought:
Edward III delegates too much power to nobility, who become ‘overmighty subjects’
Leads eventually to chaos of Wars of the Roses
Edward IV, Henry VII create stability by removing power from nobles and strengthening bureaucratic institutions (‘New Monarchy’—phrase coined by J.R. Green in 1893)
Influence of this approach evident, as well, in Elton’s Tudor Revolution in Government

4. 1945-1980s: Individuals and Patronage
K.B. McFarlane ( )
Nothing wrong with governing institutions in late medieval England
Social stability determined instead by changing relationships between individuals, which are mediated through the exchange of patronage
Approach dominated by prosopography (description of individual’s relationships and career)
Huge influence on historiography in 1940s-1980s
Wars of the Roses studied through analysis of individuals and the ‘affinities’ they form (e.g., Hicks on Warwick the Kingmaker and Clarence; Ross on Edward IV)
Similar approach to politics seen in work of Eric Ives on factionalism in Henry VIII’s reign

5. 1990s-Present: Political Culture
Defines ‘politics’ more broadly, going beyond events, personalities, and institutions
Interested instead in the language, ideas, and practices that form the framework within which politics is conducted
More concerned with observing larger structures and the ways in which they change, rather than with cause-and-effect analysis of particular events or with determining motivations of individuals

6. Investigating a Political Culture Approach
How has it affected interpretations of the Wars of the Roses and Tudor period?
Is it possible to incorporate ‘political culture’ into an A-Level curriculum without confusing or alienating students?

7. Language, Discourse, Ideas
How do people think and speak about government?
By investigating prevailing ideas about ‘good government’, historians can determine what was considered to be within the bounds of legitimate behaviour at the time
Focus on strategies people use to justify their conduct, rather than on determining individual motivations (which are difficult to discern from sources)

8. How Does This Affect Interpretations of the Wars of the Roses and Tudor Period?
John Watts on the 1450s as constitutional crisis
John Watts on humanism and the transition from ‘medieval’ Plantagenet monarchy to ‘modern’ Tudor monarchy
John Guy, Patrick Collinson, Stephen Alford on Elizabethan discourses of counsel

9. Case Study 1: From Foreign Policy to Diplomacy
An ‘individuals and patronage’ approach to foreign policy
Why does Henry VIII choose to marry Anne of Cleves in 1540?
Analyse Henry’s previous marriages, Cromwell’s religious leanings, opposition of Gardiner and Norfolk, etc.
A ‘political culture’ approach to diplomacy
What rituals and language surround diplomatic alliances? How do these practices develop?
Resident ambassadors and more frequent diplomatic reports elevate importance of ‘court politics’
New narratives of the Wars of the Roses (Commynes, Mancini)
Portraiture

10. Case Study 2: From Rebellion to Popular Politics
An ‘individuals and patronage’ approach to rebellion
What particular circumstances (recession, military defeat, religious policy) cause individuals to be dissatisfied with the monarch?
Lies behind 1980s historiography of Tudor rebellions
Often ends up stressing noble leadership and ‘conservatism’ of peasantry
A ‘political culture’ approach to popular politics
How do non-noble individuals interact with government on a daily basis?
Focuses not on rebellions, but on lesser acts of resistance (seditious speech, enclosure disputes)
Rebellions as particularly intense manifestations of continuous political negotiations in which ordinary people are involved
John Watts on 15th and early 16th centuries, Ethan Shagan on Reformation, Andy Wood on Kett’s Rebellion and later 16th century

11. Can ‘Political Culture’ be Taught at A-Level?
It’s hard!
Theoretically complex secondary sources
Lack of freely accessible online resources
Primary sources often untranslated from Middle English

12. Some Suggestions…
Exploring ideas of kingship and strategies of legitimation through the Edward IV Roll:
The ‘political culture’ of diplomacy through Holbein’s portraits ( OR through Philippe de Commynes’s Memoirs ( line-library-text-essays/michael-jones-philippe-de-commynes- memoirs/)
Analysing rebel manifestos in new ways