Lancastrians to Tudors: England 1450–1509

by Andrew Pickering

• ISBN13: 9780521557467
• ISBN10: 0521557461
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-07-24
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The Wars of the Roses and the struggle for the throne between the Houses of York and Lancaster dominate the turbulent history of the latter half of the fifteenth century. Andrew Pickering addresses the issues critical to the study of this period, and analyses the historical debates surounding the characters and events. The text also includes a document study section which offers readers the opportunity to examine a diverse set of written and visual sources. The result is a stimulating foundation text for all Advanced Subsidiary (AS) students, as well as for undergraduates needing an introduction to the period. Lancastrians to Tudors is part of the Cambridge Perspectives in History series. It meets the requirements of the new OCR AS level specifications and is endorsed by OCR.

Table of Contents

Fifteenth-century kingship and the reign of Henry VI	1	(29)
How was England governed in the mid-fifteenth century?	6	(2)
How strong was the monarchy before the reign of Henry VI?	8	(3)
What factors undermined Henry VI's rule before 1455?	11	(9)
Why was Henry VI usurped by Edward, earl of March, in 1461?	20	(10)
Historical interpretation: the long-term and short-term causes of the Wars of the Roses	27	(3)
The Wars of the Roses and the first reign of Edward IV	30	(17)
How was Yorkist power consolidated following the Battle of Towton?	32	(2)
Why did Warwick turn against Edward IV?	34	(5)
Why did Edward IV lose the throne in 1470 and how did he recover it in 1471?	39	(4)
What was the nature of war during the Wars of the Roses and how did it affect the participants?	43	(4)
The end of the Yorkists, 1471-85	47	(31)
To what extent was Edward IV's foreign policy a failure?	52	(4)
How effectively did Edward IV manage his financial affairs?	56	(1)
Did Edward IV create a `new monarchy'?	57	(4)
Why, and with what consequences, did Richard, duke of Gloucester, make himself king of England?	61	(13)
Historical interpretation: Richard III - hero or villain?	69	(5)
Why was Richard III overthrown by Henry Tudor?	74	(4)
Henry VII and the establishment of the Tudor dynasty	78	(25)
How did Henry Tudor consolidate his position as king of England?	80	(3)
How successfully did Henry VII deal with opposition to his rule?	83	(12)
To what extent did domestic crises determine Henry VII's continental policy?	95	(2)
To what extent was Henry VII more successful than his predecessors in containing and pacifying the Scots?	97	(6)
Historical interpretation: How successful was Henry VII in his dealings with Ireland?	100	(3)
Henry VII and the government of England	103	(20)
How well did Henry VII manage his financial affairs?	105	(3)
What was Henry VII's relationship with the English nobility?	108	(4)
How was England governed during the reign of Henry VII?	112	(4)
What place did the church have in the government of the realm?	116	(7)
Historical interpretation: Was Henry a `modern' or `medieval' ruler?	118	(5)
Social and economic change in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries	123	(27)
What changes affected the nobility?	125	(2)
What were the most important changes for other social groups?	127	(4)
How did the English economy develop?	131	(4)
What was the condition of religion?	135	(6)
What were the main cultural developments?	141	(9)
Historical interpretation: the social and economic impact of the Wars of the Roses	146	(4)
Document study: The Wars of the Roses, 1450-85	150	(26)
Why did civil strife break out in England in 1455?	152	(7)
How effective a king was Edward IV?	159	(8)
Why did the Yorkist dynasty fail to maintain its hold on the crown?	167	(9)
Further reading	176	(2)
Index	178