The Wars of the Roses & the Tudor Dynasty

UK History

Chapter 6 · The Wars of the Roses & the Tudor Dynasty

Chapter 5 ended with the Plantagenets' final struggle and the dynasty's end at Bosworth. This chapter covers that struggle, the Wars of the Roses, and the first Tudor king, Henry VII, whose reign the sources treat mainly as a rebuilding. The sources are two reference articles, one on the wars and one on Henry VII. The wars' death toll and causes are given as the article's own summary, and I mark where they are figures or interpretations I could not check.

The Wars of the Roses, 1455 to 1487

The wars were fought between the House of York (white rose) and the House of Lancaster (red rose) for control of the English throne. The source gives approximately 105,000 combat deaths.

A Precise-Looking Figure The 105,000 figure is stated flatly by the source. I did not find how it was derived, who counted, or what period it covers, so treat it as an estimate. The same caution applies to dating the wars to 1455 and 1487, which follows the source's own scheme.

Why They Started

Powerful Duchies

Edward III's creation of powerful duchies for his sons established a new nobility capable of challenging royal authority. This connects to the Plantagenet line described in Chapter 5.

Bastard Feudalism

A system that enabled magnates to maintain private military retinues loyal to themselves instead of the crown. The source names it and does not define it further, and I did not research it.

A Weak King

The mental instability of Henry VI revived Richard of York's interest in claiming the throne.

The Main Events

Year	Event
1455	York captures Henry VI at the First Battle of St Albans and becomes Lord Protector.
1461	Edward IV, York's son, is crowned after defeating the Lancastrians at Towton.
1470 to 1471	Warwick briefly restores Henry VI before Edward IV reclaims power.
1483	Richard III assumes the throne amid controversy over the "Princes in the Tower."
1485	Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at Bosworth Field, establishing the Tudor dynasty.
1487	The final Yorkist challenge is defeated at Stoke Field.

A Controversy Named, Not Explained The source refers to "controversy over the Princes in the Tower" without saying what the controversy is. I did not research it, so the chapter does not describe what happened to the princes or who is blamed. The same goes for the source's silence on what happened to Henry VI and Richard of York.

Henry VII

Henry VII ruled from 1485 to 1509. He declared himself king retroactively from 21 August 1485, before his official coronation on 30 October. He married Elizabeth of York in 1486, uniting Lancastrian and Yorkist claims, and the Tudor Rose became a symbol of reconciliation.

A Reign Dated Backwards Backdating his reign to 21 August, the day before the date usually given for Bosworth, makes anyone who fought against him on 22 August a rebel. I did not verify the date of the battle or the legal reasoning, so this consequence is my reading of the source's fact and not the source's own claim.

Rebellions and Finances

He faced rebellions, including challenges from Lambert Simnel (1487) and Perkin Warbeck (in the 1490s), and suppressed them.
He transformed England's finances from near-bankruptcy and is described as "a fiscally prudent monarch," employing ruthless tax collection through his chancellor, Archbishop John Morton.
His methods earned criticism. His advisers Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley were later executed for abuse of power.

Foreign Policy

He pursued strategic marriages for his children: Arthur to Catherine of Aragon for an alliance with Spain, and Margaret to James IV for one with Scotland. The Magnus Intercursus, a trade agreement with Burgundy in 1496, is described as significantly benefiting English commerce. He died in 1509 and was succeeded by his son Henry VIII, the subject of Chapter 7.

What I Did Not Verify I did not find the causes of Empson and Dudley's execution beyond the one phrase, the details of Simnel's and Warbeck's claims, the Star Chamber or other legal reforms, or how historians rate Henry VII. I also did not check whether the Tudor line's claim was strong or weak, which is a live question in the sources I did not read. The chapter therefore describes what he did, but not how well it worked.

Hands-On Exercises

Exercise 1

Set out the three causes of the wars named in the chapter and say which one the chapter can describe least fully.

→ Solution

Exercise 2

A student writes "The Wars of the Roses killed 105,000 people and ended at Bosworth in 1485." Correct the two claims.

→ Solution

Exercise 3

List how Henry VII secured his position, using the chapter, and name one thing the sources do not tell you about his success.

→ Solution

Quick Reference

Wars of the Roses: 1455 to 1487, York (white) against Lancaster (red); about 105,000 combat deaths (source's figure)
Causes: powerful duchies, bastard feudalism, Henry VI's instability
Events: St Albans 1455; Towton 1461; Warwick's restoration 1470 to 1471; Richard III 1483; Bosworth 1485; Stoke Field 1487
Henry VII: reigned 1485 to 1509; married Elizabeth of York 1486; died 1509
Consolidation: marriage, defeat of Simnel and Warbeck, financial recovery, foreign marriages
Not covered: the Princes in the Tower, Star Chamber, how historians rate his reign