🌹The Wars of the Roses

How a civil war over the crown founded the House of Tudor.

1. Civil war begins 1455

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   In 1455 a civil war began to decide who should be king of England, fought between two families: the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

2. Red rose and white rose

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   The war was called the Wars of the Roses because the symbol of Lancaster was a red rose and the symbol of York was a white rose.

   and it was named because

3. Battle of Bosworth Field

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   The war ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, where King Richard III of the House of York was killed.

   the war ended at

4. Henry Tudor wins

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   Henry Tudor, leader of the House of Lancaster, became King Henry VII, the first king of the House of Tudor.

   so the victor

5. Marriage unites the families

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   Henry married Richard's niece, Elizabeth of York, uniting the two families. The Tudor symbol was a red rose with a white rose inside it.