Here’s some information about the War of the Roses. some of the information you might already know, but hopefully you’ll learn something new too.
What was the War of the Roses?
The War of the Roses (or Wars of the Roses) were a series of battles fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster for the throne of England. The ‘Roses’ part refers to the symbols of the two Houses. The House of York’s symbol was the white rose and the House of Lancaster’s was a red rose.
When was the first battle in the Wars of the Roses?
The First Battle of St Albans on 22nd May 1455 was the first conflict. In this small battle Richard, Duke of York overcame the Lancastrian forces, killing some the Lancastrian leaders and wounding King Henry VI (a Lancastrian). Other battles followed, such as: Towton (1461), Edgecote Moor (1469), Barnet (1471) and Tewkesbury (1471).
Both the Lancastrians and the Yorkists experienced victory and defeat in different battles.
Although many of the noblemen in england were killed or injured during the Wars of the Roses, some historians have argued that the battles didn’t really have much impact on the everyday people of England. East Anglia, for example, was largely unaffected by the fighting.
When did the Wars of the Roses end?
Many believe that the Wars of the Roses were brought to a close following Henry Tudor’s victory over Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. It is true, however, that Henry Tudor (then Henry VII) had to spend the first part of his reign fighting to secure his throne. As a result, some would argue that the Battle of Stoke (1487) in which Henry defeated a group of loyal Yorkists is the last conflict of the Wars of the Roses.
Who won the Wars of the Roses?
The House of Lancaster did when Henry Tudor defeated the Yorkist monarch, King Richard III, the brother of Edward IV.
