Wars of the Roses (may 22, 1455 – jun 16, 1487)

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The Wars of the Roses were a series of fifteenth-century English civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, between supporters of two rival cadet branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose, and the House of York, represented by a white rose. Eventually, the wars eliminated the male lines of both families leading to the end of the Plantagenet reign and subsequent rise of the Tudor Dynasty. The conflict lasted through many sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487, but there was related fighting before and after this period between the parties. The power struggle ignited around social and financial troubles following the Hundred Years' War, unfolding the structural problems of bastard feudalism,[citation needed] combined with the mental infirmity and weak rule of King Henry VI, which revived interest in the House of York's claim to the throne by Richard of York. Historians disagree on which of these factors was the main reason for the wars.

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