The War of the Roses

1422-1461	reign of Henry VI (Lancastrian); his periodic insanity and decline of authority led to the War of the Roses
1454	Richard of York tries to seize the throne from Henry VI
1455	-Yorkist victory at the Battle of St Albans -the Duke of York becomes lord protector when Henry lapses into insanity
1456	the king recovers and regains his authority
1459	the leading Yorkists go into exile
1460	-Yorkist victory at the Battle of Northampton and capture of the king -Richard and Henry work out a compromise, which disinherits the Lancastrian line (led by Queen Margaret)
1460	Lancastrian victory at the Battle of Wakefield; the Duke of York dies in battle and his claim passes to his son Edward
1461	-Yorkist victory at the Battle of Mortimer’s Crossing -Edward, the Yorkist claimant, proclaims himself King Edward IV -Yorkist victory at the Battle of Towton -Henry VI flees with Scotland with his wife and child
1461-1483	reign of Edward IV (Yorkist); struggles against the Lancastrians and his cousin, the earl of Warwick
1471	Edward IV defeats Warwick and Queen Margaret and captures and kills Henry VI and the Prince of Wales
1483	-death of Henry IV and Richard (Henry’s brother) III’s seizure of the throne (after the mysterious death of Henry’s two sons in the Tower of London) -Richard’s arbitrary rule leads the duke of Buckingham to defect to Henry Tudor, the earl of Richmond and head of the Lancastrians, who had a weak claim to the throne -Richard executes the duke of Buckingham
1485	in France, Henry Tudor gains the support of Louis XI and raises an army; he defeats Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field and initiates the Tudor dynasty