Topic 3.3 Flashcards
what is the significance of the Yorkists and the Lancastrians?
They were the two families who claimed the throne during the 15th century were both descended from sons of Edward III: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Edmund, Duke of York.
The Houses of York and Lancaster and their supporters became rivals for the throne in the 1450s; this led to the Wars of the Roses, a civil war which disrupted England until 1487.
what house was Henry VII part of?
he was part of the Lancastrian family.
why was John de la Pole significant?
he was heir presumptive because Richard III had no surviving children. (nephew of Richard III and Edward IV) He was a real threat to Henry as a potential figurehead of a Yorkist rising and rapidly became the focus of opposition to Henry in the first two years of the reign.
why was Edward Plantagenet (Earl of Warwick) significant)?
he was also Edward IV and Richard III’s nephew. He was placed in the tower - where he was to spend the rest of his life - though this did not stop him from becoming the focus of plots against Henry.
Who were the Princes in the Tower and why are they considered significant?
Edward and Richard (sons of Edward IV) they were significant because Henry’s enemies attempted to use the princes as a focus for rallying support against the king.
how were the daughters of Edward IV more of heir presumptive?
though they could not themselves rule they could pass their claim to the throne to their children - which made them dangerous to Henry.
who placed Richard and Edward in the tower?
Richard III their own uncle.
why was it significant in society that Richard III locked his own nephews in the Tower?
due to the fact that it shifted the support of the many Yorkists from Richard III to Henry VII.
when was the battle of Bosworth fought?
22 August 1485.
how great was Henry vII’s army?
c.5000 men - Richard III is said to have had about twice this number.
why did Richard III lose the battle of Bosworth?
although his army may have been decisive he lost because of his miscalculation and the actions of some of his leading nobility (Thomas, Lord Stanley, Stanley’s brother, Sir William, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland).
was Richard III a usurper?
yes - he took the throne from his nephew (Edward V) by locking him in the Tower.
how did members of the nobility betray Richard III?
they did not fight although they were expected to - this because Thomas Stanley married Henry VII’s widowed mother Margaret Beaufort.
what did the Stanleys do instead of fight?
they chose to watch the battle from the sidelines, before Sir William eventually committed his troops in support of Henry.
What were Richard III’s miscalculations that eventually led to his usurpation?
he attempted to kill Henry and he became separated from the majority of his troops as they started supporting Henry.
why was Henry paranoid after the battle of Bosworth?
because Richard’s trusted nobility ended up betraying and ultimately killing him - which meant that the nobility could easily perform in the same way toward Henry VII.
how did Bosworth enhance Henry VII’s position?
during the 15th century it was believed that God’s will dictated events. Though Richard III was considered as a king anointed by God - his defeat was seen as God’s punishment for him for the tactics he used in usurping the throne (imprisoning his nephews).
How was Richard III’s death important for Henry VII?
it was important because it meant that Henry’s potential political rival and focus for Yorkist support was removed.
who were some of the powerful supporters of Richard’s who were killed?
John Howard, 1st duke of Norfolk, and Sir Richard Radcliffe.
how great was the amount of nobles supporting Richard at battle?
less than 1/4 - which suggested that support for Richard was lukewarm at best.
what measures did Henry VII use to secure his throne?
- he had a formal coronation (to prove that he was anointed by God)
- he had his first parliament (where he was declared king)
- he had parliament declare that his reign had begun on the 21 august 1485 (in order to punish the nobles who supported Richard III as traitors and to make Richard the usurper)
- Henry cancelled the titulus regius
- through his carrot and stick approach
- he married Elizabeth of York
what was the titulus regius and why was it significant?
it was passed by Richard III and it declared that Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth of Woodville was invalid. It was significant as it made all their children (including Henry VII’s wife Elizabeth of York) illegitimate.
why did Henry cancel the titulus regius?
he cancelled it because Elizabeth would be considered illegitimate under the law and Henry wanted legitimate children from her to be able to inherit the throne.
why was Henry VII marriage to Elizabeth of York so significant?
because it united the feudal families
and made it less likely for Yorkists to want to overthrow their own bloodline (their kids)