Wars of the Roses

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Wars of the Roses

Wars of the Roses (1455 - 1487)

Date(s):

1455 - 1487

Description:

The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought in medieval England from 1455 to 1487 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the white rose for the Yorkists. Major causes of the conflict include: 1) both houses were direct descendents of king Edward III; 2) the ruling Lancastrian king, Henry VI, surrounded himself with unpopular nobles; 3) the civil unrest of much of the population; 4) the availability of many powerful lords with their own private armies; and 5) the untimely episodes of mental illness by king Henry VI.

Please visit our Wars of the Roses section for more detailed information.

Principal Battles:

1455 First St. Albans (22 May 1455) Victory for the York forces
1459 Blore Heath (23 Sep 1459) Yorkist victory
1459 Ludford Bridge (12 Oct 1459) Lancastrian victory
1460 Northampton (10 Jul 1460) Yorkist victory
1460 Wakefield (30 Dec 1460) Lancastrian victory
1461 Mortimor's Cross (2 Feb 1461) Yorkist victory
1461 Second St. Albans (17 Feb 1461) Lancastrian victory
1461 Ferrybridge (28 Mar 1461) Yorkist victory
1461 Towton (29 Mar 1461) Yorkist victory
1464 Hedgeley Moor (25 Apr 1464) Yorkist victory
1464 Hexham (15 May 1464) Yorkist victory
1469 Edgecote Moor (26 Jul 1469) Lancastrian victory
1470 Losecote Field (12 Mar 1470) Yorkist victory
1471 Barnet (14 Apr 1471) Yorkist victory
1471 Tewkesbury (4 May 1471) Yorkist victory
1485 Bosworth (22 Aug 1485) Victor: Henry Tudor
1487 Stoke (16 Jun 1487) Victor: King Henry VII (Tudor)

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