Expert: Mark Smith - 10/13/2011

Question
1.   Why was it called “War of the Roses”?
2.   The “War of the Roses” was a battle between which two houses?
3.   What factors/conflicts caused the “War of the Roses”?
4.   List the three time periods that the “War of the Roses” took place?
5.   What was the outcome of the “War of the Roses”?
6.   What kinds of weapons were used during the “War of the Roses”?

Answer
Hello Jonathon.
1. It was called the Wars of the Roses because one side, the Yorkists had a white rose as its emblem and the other, the Lancastrians had a red rose.
2. The Royal House of Lancaster represented by King Henry VI and the rival claimant to the Throne the Duke of York.
3. In 1399 King Richard II was forced to abdicate by his cousin Henry, Duke of York who seized the Throne becoming King Henry IV. He was succeeded by his son Henry V and then by his son Henry VI. However Henry IV was not the rightful heir in 1399. For years the rightful heirs made no claim the the Crown, but in the 1450s Richard, Duke of York (the rightful King) claimed the Throne.
4. 1455-61, 1470-71 and 1485. The war lasted for 30 years, but there were periods of peace during that time. To be strictly accurate it can be broken into five periods or fighting; 1455, 1459-61, 1464, 1469-71 and 1485.
5. The Yorkists won the first phase forcing out King Henry VI in 1461. The new Yorkist King was Edward IV (son of Richard who had been killed in 1460). He was in turn deposed in 1470 when Henry returned, but he only held the Throne for six months before Edward returned in 1471. He died in 1483, was succeeded by his young son Edward V, who was deposed by his uncle Richard III after a few months. Richard III was the last Yorkist King, he was killed in battle in 1485 by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. He was a distant relation of the Lancastrian Kings and the last male who could claim descent from the Royal House of Lancaster. He became King Henry VII, the first Tudor King.
6. Swords, axes, bows and arrows, halberds etc. Some early forms of firearms and cannon were used too. Generally speaking it was the last truly Mediaeval war before guns and artillery became widespread.

Mark