War of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses has finally come to an end, with the establishment of the Tudor dynasty being ruled by Henry VII. This war had erupted among the two rival houses of Lancaster and York, over the dispute for the crown of England. The Wars Of The Roses has been given this distinct name because the badges of the Lancaster and York house are a red rose and a white rose (Robinson para:2) One of the known causes of the war is that both houses are descendents of the late Edward III. Other presumed causes are the bad decision of Henry VI to surround his kingdom with nefarious noblemen, the unhappiness of the kings citizens, the large standing armies that the lords command, and the sudden illness that had overcome king Henry VI (Gormley para:1)

The Lancastrian house started with King Henry IV, grandson of Edward III. During his life Henry went on two expeditions, was exiled from England by Richard II, and later overthrew Richard to take the throne as King of England. When he died his son Henry V took the throne and was able to obtain the neighboring lands of northern France. When he died of an unknown illness, his young son Henry VI became king.

During Henry VI reign he lost the Hundred Year's War and all of England's French territories. When Henry became mentally ill the duke of York, Richard, took charge. After Henry recovered, he and Richard were unable to see eye to eye on who was to continue ruling England. This lead to the Wars of the Roses and to the capture and killing of Henry by Richard son Edward IV. (Gormely para:2) Henry was married to Margaret of Anjou. Margaret was a strong woman and was a very impressive leader to the Lancaster army. She had the courage to lead the army into dangerous battles and had the intellect to direct key strategies (Gormley para:4) After the dethronement of Henry VI, the House of York took control over England for about 24 years until finally Henry VII became king establishing the first Tudor dynasty.

Henry VII, being the present king, has accomplished many things. One is being the first Tudor king. Another was his defeat over Richard III for the crown at the battle of Bosworth and the ending of the Wars of the Roses by his engagement to his new fiancÐ"©, Elizabeth of York. He is also in the beginning stages of building the Richmond Place and a Chapel in Westminster Abbey. (Gormley para:3) The Wars of the Roses, although miserable, have considerable outcomes. These being the

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