What the Wars of the Roses tell us about England in the fifteenth century
I can explain what the Wars of the Roses tells us about 15th century England.
What the Wars of the Roses tell us about England in the fifteenth century
I can explain what the Wars of the Roses tells us about 15th century England.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Wars of the Roses can tell us a lot about why England became unstable in the 15th century.
- Henry VI’s reign shows how important having a strong, warrior king who could control the nobility was.
- Despite his qualities, Edward IV’s inability to control his nobility led to further instability and conflict.
- The Wars of the Roses show how actions by dissatisfied, powerful nobles like Warwick often led to further instability.
- Richard III’s actions show how England was still an unstable place when arguments about who should rule broke out.
Keywords
Rebellion - resistance to the government, often an armed uprising
Power - control or influence over others
Plantagenet - royal house of England, which reigned from 1154-1485
Tudor - royal house of England, which reigned from 1485-1603
Common misconception
Students may think the Wars of the Roses ended with the victory of Henry VII at Bosworth and that all historians agree with this interpretation.
Explain that Henry VII also faced rebellions at the start of his reign and, although the Tudors are well-known for their rule of England, few expected them to last long as a result of the rebellions and the prior decades of instability.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
resistance to the government, often an armed uprising
control or influence over others
royal house of England, which reigned from 1154-1485
royal house of England, which reigned from 1485-1603