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1471 - Edward IV gathers a new army and once again defeats the Lancastrians at the Battles of Tewksbury and Barnet.They return to England and restore Henry VI to the throne. 1470 - The Earl of Warwick and Queen Margaret forge an alliance.1461 - Richard of York's son, Edward IV, defeats the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton.1460 - The Lancastrians win a major victory at the Battle of Wakefield on December 30, 1460.Richard put Henry VI in prison and became the "Lord Protector" of England. At this battle Richard of York defeated the army of Henry VI. 1455 - The Wars of the Roses begins with the Battle of First St.Henry VII - Defeated Richard III to end the Wars of the Roses in 1487.He was king for just over two years before he was killed in battle. Richard III - Brother of Edward IV, he took the throne from his nephew Edward V.He was king for only a few months before he was sent to the Tower of London and disappeared. Edward V - The son of Edward IV, he was twelve when his father died.Edward IV - The first York to become king, Edward IV was king for much of the war from 1461 to 14 to 1483.Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick - See above.Richard, Duke of York - Father of Edward IV and Richard III, he began the war by defeating the Lancastrians and putting Henry VI in jail.He later changed sides when he didn't like the way Edward IV was leading the country.
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Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick - He began the war on the side of the Yorks.Margaret of Anjou - Wife of Henry VI, she took control of the country and led the fight against Henry's enemies.He was housed in the Tower of London for many years until he died. Henry VI - The king at the start of the war, Henry VI was mentally ill.It didn't help that the current king, Henry VI, was mentally ill and was being advised by corrupt and unpopular nobles. Both houses claimed to have a right to the English throne as descendents of King Edward III. The reasons behind the wars were complex. The "War of the Roses" comes from the symbols, or badges, of the two warring houses: the House of Lancaster was represented by a red rose and the House of York by a white rose.
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The Wars of the Roses was fought between two rival families who both laid claim to the throne of England: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. It lasted for just over 30 years from 1455 to 1487, however, the battles were mostly small and sometimes were years apart. The Wars of the Roses was a civil war fought in England.
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