What were the consequences of York's claim to the throne? Flashcards
what were the 4 main consequences of York’s claim to the throne?
- Tensions between the Yorkists
- Dynastic Conflict
- Margaret’s Military Preparations
- Margaret’s Scottish Alliance
what is a limitation to the theory that Margaret’s Military Preparations were the main consequence of York’s claim to the throne?
It is likely that Queen Margaret would have made some move to fight the Yorkists and restore the verdict of the ‘Parliament of Devils’ regardless of the Act of Accord.
why could York’s claim to the throne have contributed to tensions between the Yorkists, particularly Warwick?
- Warwick knew how important assurances of loyalty had been for the Yorkist victory
- The Yorkist lords had repeatedly promised their personal loyalty to Henry VI in all of their actions (their manifesto, St Paul’s), most recently to the papal legate Francesco Coppini and to the king after his capture at Northampton.
- the verses issued after Northampton proclaimed that they had never considered not being loyal and culminated in an appeal to the Trinity on behalf of both the king and the peace of the realm
- Proclamations of Yorkist loyalty to Henry VI had been widely circulated and to go back on their word would have been perjury.
what evidence is there that York’s claim to the throne caused tensions between the Yorkists?
- Salisbury was offended when York evicted the king from the royal chambers and protested to Warwick
- There was a furious row between Warwick on one side and York and Rutland on the other, while March temporised
- Pope Pius II reports that Warwick opposed York’s claims
what evidence is there that York’s claim to the throne alienated the wider support for the Yorkists?
- Many including Archbishop Bourchier, who was sympathetic to York personally, were alienated by attempts to actively remove Henry VI from the throne; could also risk alienating the Church and the people
- Archbishop Bourchier was frightened of York’s retainers and so it was Warwick who presented himself in company with his brother Thomas, who went to Westminster and told York that the deposition of the king was unacceptable to the Lords and the people
- Many of York’s army of followers refused to seal their contracts when it became clear that it would involve acting against the king.
why did York’s claim to the throne make the conflict dynastic?
- The Lancastrians could only prevent a Yorkist succession upon Henry VI’s death by defeating the Yorkists in battle; there was no other way of annulling what Henry VI had been prevailed upon to accept
- The Yorkists knew that the Act of Accord would have to be imposed and that Lancastrian lords would resist for as long as they had the military means to do so
what military actions were taken by Yorkists and Lancastrians after York’s claim to the throne, suggesting the conflict became dynastic?
- Lancastrian forces remained in being and attracted widespread support within the realm and beyond it
- York’s northern campaign at the end of 1460 was launched to destroy resistance to the accord; was part of a larger strategy for the destruction of Lancastrian power before it could unravel the Westminster Accord
- December: Edward of March was sent west to the Welsh borders to recruit men for his father and stop Jasper Tudor from marching north to join Lancastrian opposition there.
why did York’s claim to the throne push Margaret to action?
- The Act of Accord disinherited Margaret’s son, Edward. She was determined to fight for his rights.
- Many northern lords had stayed away from Parliament and they, especially Northumberland and Clifford, encouraged her to actively resist York.
give evidence that York’s claim to the throne pushed margaret to commence military preparations
- Margaret’s supporters began to raise forces across England: Somerset, Earl of Devon, Sir Alexander Hody and others in southwest recruited troops; force of 800 marched across the country to York; joined with Exeter (York’s son-in-law), Lord Latimer (duchess of York’s brother), Lord Neville (duchess’s half-brother), Earl of Northumberland (her nephew), and Lord Roos, Clifford, Greystock and Dacre
- managed to concentrate several thousand men between York and Hull
- Anti-Yorkist forces gathered at York in huge numbers that astounded the Yorkists when news reached them in London.
why did Margaret make a scottish alliance after York claimed the throne?
- York’s claim to the throne was on behalf of his entire family so Margaret knew that any individual battle/death would not be the end of the matter.
- Margaret believed that this alliance would also secure her the support of the old ally of Scotland, Charles VII of France; he opened the harbours of Normandy to the supporters of Margaret
how did Margaret make an alliance with the scots, after york claimed the throne?
- Whilst her army was fighting the Yorkists at Wakefield, Margaret was in Scotland (Lincluden Abbey) actively seeking an alliance with the Scots against the Yorkists running the government of England.
- she impressed the young king James III’s mother, Mary of Guelders
what were the terms of the scottish alliance margaret made after york claimed the throne?
- a marriage was agreed (although it never occurred) between Prince Edward and Princess Mary, the Scottish king’s sister. Margaret also offered to surrender the key border town of Berwick to the Scots to seal the deal.
- The terms of the agreement were made public before a large assembly of nobles (including dukes of Exeter and Somerset, earls of Northumberland, Westmorland, and Devon, and Lords Neville, FitzHugh, and Roos) in York on 20 January 1461.
