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Wars Of The Roses, Who was fight an why on earth would all that death be worth THAT?

The fight was for the crown of England basically, it was fought by the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. The Yorkists held the white rose as a symbol and the Lancastrians held the red rose as there symbol, personally I would want to carry a red rose because it would symbolize death and blood and scare terrify my enemy to no end. Henry VI did not hold the red rose as a symbol; the people who worked for Henry VII though used it and created a red and white Tudor rose, to try to symbolize the union of the two houses.

Turdor Rose

The war was a result of the recovery of the madness of the King Henry VI in the early 1455’s. King Henry VI was King Henry V’s infant son who was put on the throne, and sometimes suffered from fits of insanity, because of this the land owners found the King was not very stable and they could often do what they wanted to.While Henry VI was insane the nation was ruled by a council of nobles under the protection of Henry’s Kinsman, Richard, Duke of York. Some say that they believe that Richard was the rightful heir to the throne, not Henry. When Henry VI recovered from his insanity, the ‘old court party’ took over the monarch and government once again.

Who where the heads of each house, what allies did each have at the beginning of the wars?

Lancasterians

         

The head of the red rose or the Lancastrian was a queen who was ‘a great and strong-labored French woman’; she looked to York as a threat to the succession of her last born son Henry. Her main ally was Edmond Beaufort, duke of Somerset who had recently been released from prison where his old enemy York, had sent him. Margret was the queen’s name, and she also had support of two northern noblemen, Lord Clifford, and Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland. Both of their hatred was directed towards York’s strongest allies, who had been fighting with them for years.

Yorks

   The head of the Yorks was the duke of York; York’s strongest allies were the earls of Salisbury and Warwick. They were both members of the Neville family who had been at war with the Percy’s for years. Even after York dies the name York will still be carried, York carries the white rose.

What was the first battle between the York’s, and the Lancastrians, and who was the winner?

The starting point for the wars of the roses was on May 22, 1445 at the town of St. Albans in the southeastern county of Hertfordshire. When King Henry recovered to his health, the duke of York and the Neville’s left London, to go home to their estates in the North. King Henry and his advisers summoned the three peers to a great council to be held at Leicester, on May 21; the disaffected lords believed the council would force them into submission, so they gathered hoping to intercept King Henry on his way to the council.  

King Henry heard about York's march, and sent him a letter telling him to disarm or he would be called a traitor. It was May 21st by the time York's reply reached him, the reply stated that only the arrest of Somerset would make him happy. The King arrived at St.Albans, and kept house in the town square, while York and the Neville's stayed on a ridge east of town. King Henry and York negotiated for hours but could not agree on anything. York began to storm the gates of St. Albans, but fighting in such close quarters, the Yorkists couldn't use their advantage of numbers. King Henry's men stood their ground until Warick took a small force throught the gardens into the streets of the town, cutting the King's army in two.

Warick's attack gained him a reputation and many of the King's army began to flee; this allowed York to storm and overwhelm the men guarding the KIng. In minutes the Yorkists killed Somerset, Northumberland, and Lord Thomas Clifford. Under York's "protection" Henery was removed to the safety of the abby, and he made peace with the victors. The First Battle Of St. Albans made the sons of the slane peers into enemies of York, and they would be sure to make his time of power be short and troubled.

White Rose Victory

What happend at the Battle of Wakefield?

The Battle of Wakefield happened on December 30th, 1460, this battle killed the duke of York. and revived the money of the Lancasterians. The money that the Lancasterians had become low with the defeat and  capture of King Henry VI. It also caused York's ally Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, and his second son, Edmund Plantagenet, Earl of Rutland's death. Two months after the battle of Northampton, York came back from Ireland where he was exiled to. In October York stated his claim to the throne to the English Parliment.

The lords forced the duke to accept the Act of Accord, which means that King Henry still has the throne, but it showed the succesion of York and his heirs. In Wales, Queen Margret Of the Lancasterians did not want to accept the disinheirtence of her son Prince of Wales.  In the North Henry Beaufort, third duke of Somerset, joinded forces with Henry Percy, third earl of Northumberland, Lord John Clifford, to make a sizable Lancasterian army. Responding to the threat York and Salisbury left London December 9th with an army of about 6,000. They wanted to bring the Lancasterians to war.

York was attacked while traviling to Somerset's men, but he arrived safely at Sandal Castle south of Wakefield in Yorkshire on December 21st, 1460.  York found that the castle was not prepared to take care of his army. Taking spots around the castle the Lancasterian Lords showed no siege alterlier,but they wanted to draw York outside   by sending him insulting messages, and stopping his foaraging parties. On December 30th Yorkist foragers were under attack north of the castle within sight of the wall. No one knows why York left the safety of his castle with his army. He was soon surrounded by enemy and could not escape, York was killed on the battle field. Rutland was killed by Clifford as he tried to escape, and Salisbury was captured and killed the next day. Their heads were all stuck on Micklegate Bar in York, they put a mocking paper crown on the duke's head.

Lancasterian Victory

What was the last battle in the wars of the roses, who was the winner?

The last battle was held on August 22,1485, it was called the Battle of Bosworth Field. As you know York has already met his death at the battle of Wakefield, but Margret head of the red rose, is still living. Richard had lived for only two years before he was challenged by Henry Turdor at the Battle of Bosworh Field.

Henry collected reinforcements in Wales but Stanley would offer no support, only encouragement.On August 17th Henry  met with William Stanley who Richard had called a traitor. Stanley would not openly support Henry because he feared for his son, Strange, to be killed. Richard was holding Strange captive at the time. Doubting the loyalty of some of his supporters,and relying mostly on his northern adherents, Richard went west to a town of Sutton Cheney, which he reached on August 21st . That very same night, only four, yes I did just say FOUR miles away camped the enemy Henry with his army at a place called Whitmoor. The Stanley's camped far away from both armies with a force  of about 8,000 men.

The next morning the two armies prepared for battle, although the kings army had the upper hand because they had more people, but it would only work if the Stanley's do not help  Henry's men. The Stanley's were in sight of both armies but made no move to join either, which made both armies guess what they were going to do. After the archers began to fire, the two armies attacked. John de Vere, Earl of Oxford was leading Henry's attack, while John Howard ( look at that what a coincidence both people's first names are John, sorry, just thought that was funny), Duke of Norofolk, was commanding the royal army.

Historians are unsure what made Richard full on attack Henry's men, it could have been that he thought the Stanley's were about to join Henry's men, or that the Stanley's made a move towards his stepfather; whatever King Richard was thinking was his last mistake. He took his mounted men straight into battle with Henry's men. Richard himself killed Henry's standard bearer, Sir William Brandon, but before the royal army could make any good come out of their attack, William Stanley's men overcame them.  The king was unhorsed and killed, Henry was immediately crowned king and the fighting ended.

Archaeologists don't know exactly where the battle took place but, recent research shows that it was possibly half a mile to the south, in the plain between Ambren Hill and the Village of Dadlington.Richards body was paraded naked through Leicester. Dead on the field were Sir Richard Ratcliff, Norfolk, and Sir Robery Bracken Burly, all of which were Yorkists.  It was a red rose victory and to stop the fighting Henry married Elizabeth of York daughter of Edward VI.

Lancasterian Victory