Edward IV's First Rule And The Crisis Of 1461-1471 Flashcards
•How did Edward IV establish himself as King? •How well did Edward deal with the Lancastrian problem •How well-governed was England during Edward's first reign? •How successful was Edward's foreign policy? •Why did Edward and the Earl of Warwick quarrel? •Why did Edward lose the throne in 1470? •How was Edward able to regain the throne in 1471?
- 1461(March): Battle of ¹_____
- 1461(²____): Edward crowned king
- ³___(April):Battle of Hedgeley Moor
- 1464(May): Battle of ⁴_____ + Edward marries Elizabeth
- ⁵____(July): ⁶______ captured and put in the tower
- 1467(November): Commercial treaty with ⁷_____ concluded
- 1469(April): Rebellion of ⁸_____
- 1469(July): Battle of ⁹_____
- 1470(October): Edward flees to ¹⁰_____ and Henry VI returns to throne
- 1471(April): Battle of ¹¹_____, Earl of ¹²_____ killed
- 1471(May): Battle of ¹³_____, Lancastrian Prince of ¹⁴____ killed
¹ Towton ² June ³ 1464 ⁴ Hexham ⁵ 1465 ⁶ Henry VI ⁷ Burgundy ⁸ Robin of Redesdale ⁹ Edgecote ¹⁰Burgundy ¹¹Barnet ¹² Warick ¹³Tewkesbury ¹⁴ Wales
Why was Edward reluctant to be Crowned King via a full coronation ceremony despite being proclaimed King on March 4th 1461 by a council of leading nobles and the Arch Bishop of Canterbury?
He refused the crown until he had destroyed the other king and brought peace to England
How did Edward fund his campaign against the Lancastrians and why were the merchants and people of London willing to lend him money?
- London was very pro-Yorkist and willing to lend money
- Lancastrians had accumulated a lot of debt so merchants saw a Yorkist future as better for business
What was the relative status of both Edward and Warwick in the days prior to Edward becoming King?
- Warrick had lost the second Battle of St Albans
- Warrick fled west and, with Edward, went to London
What was the nature of Edward’s proclamation of March 6th 1461, and how was it designed to divide and therefore weaken the Lancastrians?
It said that if Lancastrians recognised Edward as king and they earnt less than 100 Mark’s a year they would be pardoned. This separated Lancastrian Lords and their followers
From where was Edward (and Warick) able to recruit an army of over 50,000 men to meet the Lancastrian forces in March 1461?
Kent+East Anglia (have a history of supporting the Yorkist cause)
Why did the Dauphin (heir to the French throne) lend support to Edward IV
He had fallen out with his father, Charles VII of France, so by helping Edward, supported his pro-Yorkist uncle and rebelled against his pro-Lancastrian father
What were the key events of the Battle of Ferrybridge, March 28
- Lancastrians forced to retreat
- Lancastrian Commander Lord Clifford died
- Warwick was injured (arrow in the knee)
In brief, what combination of fortune and general ship secured a Yorkist victory at the Battle of Towton, March 29, 1461
- Snow blew into the Lancastrians face limiting their vision
- Yorkist archers fired arrows under the cover of the snow and then stood back as the Lancastrians fired at where they thought the Yorkists (who had moved out of range) were
What happened during the pursuit in the immediate aftermath of the battle. What were the overall casualty figures, and what happened to Northumberland, Devon and Wiltshire either during, or after the battle?
- 28,000 died
- Lancastrains drowned due to a bridge they had broken
- Earl of Northumberland killed
- Earl of Devon captured and executed
- Earl of Wiltshire captured and executed
- Their heads replaced Richard’s at York
What qualities of leadership had been shown by Edward IV in the build up to the battle and during the fighting itself. How did this contrast with the poor leadership of Henry?
- Henry refused to take part in Towton (Edward lead his men into battle)
- Edward was an inspiration leader with quick thinking
What qualities of leadership had been shown by Edward IV in the build up to the battle and during the fighting itself. How did this contrast with the poor leadership of Henry?
- Henry refused to take part in Towton (Edward lead his men into battle)
- Edward was an inspiration leader with quick thinking
When was Edward crowned?
28 June 1461 in London
Why were the Lancastrians still able to continue their struggle against Edward, despite their loss at Towton?
King, Queen and Prince escaped to Scotland to gain foreign support
Lancastrian strengths after Towton (March 1461)
- Queen determined to secure the throne for her son
- Possible support from France and Scotland
- Power-base in Midlands and North-East
- Percys and Cliffords still around
- Dukes of Somerset and Exeter alive
- Henry still had strongest claim to throne
