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2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499

  • 16 subtopics
  • 51 things to know
  • Component 2

What 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 covers

Option 2B is a depth study of the Wars of the Roses, taken as one of the Component 2 choices. It covers the breakdown of Lancastrian government, the Yorkist triumph, the reign of Edward IV and the fall of the dynasty.

Where it is assessed

Component 2

A depth study, of which a student sits one.

Check the AQA specification ↗

The 16 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Who led the dominant baronial faction by 1450 and held significant influence over Henry VI?

Key term

Why were baronial disputes in 1450 allowed to escalate rather than being resolved?

Key term

What regional grievances fuelled support for Cade's Rebellion?

Key term

What material losses did English nobles suffer from the fall of Normandy?

Key term

What position did Richard of York hold from 1447, and how was this appointment perceived?

Key term

What was one source of rivalry between York and Somerset regarding access to the king?

Key term

What ended York's first Protectorate, and what were the political consequences?

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How did the balance of military power stand between Yorkists and Lancastrians in 1455?

Key term

What northern feud exemplified how local rivalries became entangled with the York-Lancaster conflict?

Key term

What caused resentment among the established nobility following the Woodville marriage?

Key term

What was the key difference between Warwick and Edward IV regarding foreign policy?

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Who brokered the reconciliation between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, and where did this occur?

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Why was the Readeption government unstable?

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On what date was the Battle of Barnet fought, and what were the weather conditions?

Key term

What happened to Lancastrian military leadership at and after the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury?

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Which trade was particularly disrupted by the wars during this period?

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What caused localised economic disruption during periods of conflict?

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Why did Edward IV bypass the Exchequer in favour of Chamber finance?

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How did increased crown lands revenue reduce Edward IV's dependence on parliamentary grants?

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Who headed the Council of the North under Edward IV?

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What were benevolences as used by Edward IV?

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Where did Richard, Duke of Gloucester, build his independent power base?

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What was the source of factional rivalry between Gloucester and the Woodvilles?

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Which commodities formed the basis of English trade recovery during Edward IV's peaceful reign?

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How was the rise of gentry families evident during Edward IV's reign?

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How did failure of male lines contribute to changes in the nobility?

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How old was Edward IV when he died, and how old was his heir?

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Why was control of the regency government contested after Edward IV's death?

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Whom did Edward IV's will name as Lord Protector?

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Why did Richard III's status as a usurper weaken his position?

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How did dissensions among Yorkist nobility affect Richard III's regime?

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Why did Buckingham's rebellion fail?

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When and where did the Battle of Bosworth take place?

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Where was Henry Tudor proclaimed King Henry VII?

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What was the intended purpose of Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York?

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Who led the Lovell revolt of 1486 against Henry VII?

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Who did Lambert Simnel claim to be?

Key term

Who provided the German mercenaries that fought for Lambert Simnel?

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From where did Margaret of Burgundy provide support to Yorkist pretenders?

Key term

When did Henry VII begin imprisoning the Earl of Warwick?

Key term

How was Perkin Warbeck captured in 1497?

Key term

Which trade was particularly affected by the political instability of the Wars of the Roses?

Key term

What methods did Henry VII use to control the nobility and ensure loyalty by 1499?

Key term

How was the relationship between central authority and the regions transformed during this period?

Process

Who led the dominant baronial faction under Henry VI by 1450, and what divided the factions?

Process

What happened at the first Battle of St Albans, and what ended York's Protectorate?

Process

What happened at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in February 1461?

Process

What conditions and events decided the Battle of Towton on 29 March 1461?

Process

Which leading Lancastrian noble was killed at the Battle of Northampton?

Process

How did Richard III take power, and why was his position weak?

Process

Who were Margaret of Anjou and Prince Edward, and how was Warwick reconciled to them?

Take 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

  • Yorkist vs Lancastrian

    Yorkist: supporter of the dynastic claim descended through the house of York. Lancastrian: supporter of the rival royal line descended through Lancaster.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What was one key weakness of Henry VI as a ruler regarding the nobility?

    Model answer

    His inability to control noble factions

  2. 2

    How did Henry VI's relationship with certain individuals undermine his rule?

    Model answer

    He was susceptible to manipulation by favourites, allowing them undue influence over royal policy

  3. 3

    What attitude did Henry VI display towards warfare that weakened his kingship?

    Model answer

    He showed a lack of interest in military affairs

  4. 4

    What happened to Henry VI in 1453 that created a political crisis?

    Model answer

    He suffered a mental breakdown, rendering him incapable of ruling and creating a power vacuum

  5. 5

    Who led the dominant baronial faction by 1450 and held significant influence over Henry VI?

    Model answer

    Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset

  6. 6

    What was one characteristic of baronial factions in 1450 relating to royal favour?

    Model answer

    Competition for royal patronage

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2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 revision questions

What does 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 cover in AQA A-Level History?
16 subtopics: henry vi, cade's rebellion and the loss of normandy, richard of york and his claim to the throne, the protectorates, st albans and the uneasy peace, the war of the barons and towton, edward iv and the woodville marriage, warwick, margaret of anjou and the readeption, barnet, tewkesbury and the impact of the wars, edward iv's second reign and royal finance, the rise of the woodvilles and court faction, trade, society and regional power under edward iv, the succession crisis of 1483, richard iii and the princes in the tower, the battle of bosworth, lovell, lambert simnel and stoke field, margaret of burgundy and the yorkist pretenders and the economic cost of the wars and recovery by 1499. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 organised?
By the AQA 7042 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

Every question in 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499, on a schedule.

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