The impact of the baronial wars on English society by 1471 Flashcards
What happened between 1455 and 1471?
Between 1455 and 1471 English society had been plagued by a series of events that would inevitably affect the population even though the vast majority of the population was not involved in the actual battles of the civil war.
What was the Impact on the Nobles?
The fewer nobles involved, the lesser the impact on the day-to-day lives of the ppl.
some battles saw many more nobles join in than others = Towton.
Almost 60 of the 70 nobles participated in at least one of the battles.
1/4 of the parliamentary peerage where removed
What was the Impact on the Gentry?
In the next social stratum, the gentry would only get involved in the if fighting they were called by their lord to arms, and even then they were often reluctant to get involved.
Perhaps only in the North were the gentry families more willing to participate and serve their lords, either the Nevilles or the Percys.
Most did not become involved as they were more interested in protecting their own inheritances.
What was the Impact on the Peasants?
Archaeological evidence has also recently shown the scale of the war and impact on the common man.
In the 1990s a mass grave on the site of the Battle of Towton contained the skeletons of almost 40 men, who were judged by the archaeologists to come from every walk of life
It was the boast of E4 to ‘spare the commons’ during and after the fighting, but clearly this was not the case.
By 1471 the king had certainly abandoned his policy altogether, and allowed the slaughter of hundreds of ordinary soldiers fleeing the scenes of the Battles of Barnet and Tewksbury.
What was the impact on the Church?
A major part of English society that distanced itself from the civil wars, and therefore suffered little impact, was the Church.
Very few members of the senior clergy became involved, most notably George Neville, Archbishop of York.
the Church did not become involved in the baronial wars as they gave priority to maintaining solidarity in the face of unstable times.
What was the impact on Land and property?
The army that generated the worst reputation for looting and pillaging was that of Margaret of Anjou during the 1460-61 campaign.
However, it is agreed among modern historians that there was actually very little in the way of damage to land or property in the course of the baronial wars
What was the impact on Law and order
One of the greatest impacts of the baronial wars was the effect they had on law and order in the country.
The political turmoil and frequent skirmishes provided the perfect cover for the pursuit of personal vendettas, or even just mindless acts of violence.
contemporaries made the connection between civil war and violent disorder in the localities
What was the impact on trade and the economy?
‘Great Slump’
Political uncertainty in a country will always have some effect on the economy and trade.
By 1455 England was suffering from the ‘Great Slump’
the slump was a cause rather than an effect of the civil wars, as it began before them and ended during the 1470s.
However, at times the wars imposed a financial cost on the towns and cities.
Local taxation increased in frequency and cost, affecting the national trend.
What was the impact on International trade? (Warwick)
International trade did feel the effects of the conflict, as there was constant concern over the main trading links with the Low Countries.
shipping was particularly threatened by Warwick’s piratical attacks on foreign ships in the Channel in 1459-60 and 1470-71.
His actions made importing and exporting goods a highly risky business, but it certainly did not stop trade.
Politically, there were threats to important trading links with the Hanseatic League that caused great concern to the merchants of London.
Attacks on Hanseatic ships by the Earl of Warwick certainly damaged relations and it was a great relief when Edward IV negotiated a peace agreement with the League in 1474.
What was the overall impact on the economy?
The conflicts themselves could cause temporary disruption to the economy, particularly as labour could be disrupted at the calling of arms
Plenty of these men did not return home after battles and their widows and families consequently faced financial hardship.
However, this occurrence was not so common that local economies were devastated.
For all but the aristocracy, it seems, the impact of the baronial wars between 1455 and 1471 was short-term and sporadic
This is not to say that the wars were not disruptive but rather that the population recovered to normality quickly.
What was the main 3 Impact of the Baronial War by 1471?
- the nobility
- Peasants + Law and order + Land
- Trade + Economy
How badly were the nobility affected?
noble families were hit hard but very few actually died out.
some argue Wareick was the biggest casualty as he dies at Barnet on the 14th April 1471 without any sons to succeed him.
How much peerage was removed by 1471
1/4 of the parliamentary peerage
Almost 60 of the 70 nobles participated in at least one of the battles.
