The end of the Yorkist Dynasty 1486–1499 (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Impact on English society
📌 What was the impact of the Wars of the Roses on trade and economy during Henry's reign?
Agrarian Crisis
- Early 14th Century England was suffering from an agrarian crisis
- Too many people, not enough food and jobs
- Standards of living were severely depressed
- Famine was common
- Many of the great estates carried on farming and managing the land
- Peasantry remained impoverished
- Not helped by heavy burdens of taxation
In early 14th century England, the nation faced an agrarian crisis marked by overpopulation, food shortages, and widespread unemployment. The standard of living plummeted, and famine became a harsh reality for many. Despite these challenges, the great estates continued to farm and manage the land, while the peasantry remained impoverished, further burdened by heavy taxation.
Effect of the Black Death on the Economy
- The Black Death in 1348 caused drastic changes
- Spread like wildfire
- All parts of mainland Britain were affected by 1350
- Caused panic
- People feared for their lives in the wake of this disease
- Led to economic problems
- Landlords were faced with vacant holdings and a sharp rise in wages
- Immediate response was to try to control the labour market by the first Ordinance of Labourers in 1349
- Panic was short-lived
- Economy settled down and adapted to the greatly lessened population
- Many historians attributed the Black Death to the start of the events of 1350-1500
- Different regions and different classes were effected in different
- South East prospered, South West declined
- Cloth trade was growing
- Impact of enclosures was not to be felt at its greatest effect until well into the 16th century
In early 14th century England, the nation faced an agrarian crisis marked by overpopulation, food shortages, and widespread unemployment. The standard of living plummeted, and famine became a harsh reality for many. Despite these challenges, the great estates continued to farm and manage the land, while the peasantry remained impoverished, further burdened by heavy taxation.
Impact of the Wars of the Roses
- Trade definitely felt the impact
- Trade with the Low Countries was effected by the English Crown's relations with Burgundy
- Margaret of Burgundy's exile had caused major disruption to English Merchants
- Had a knock-on effect with the Hanseatic merchants – alienated
- Issues surrounding piracy in the English Channel
- Often connected to the civil conflict in England
- By the end of the 15th century English merchants were not faring as well as their Hanseatic neighbours
- Pushed out of important trading areas
- Especially the Baltic region
- Also Scandinavia and Iceland
- Historians attributed this failure to the political situation
- Blamed the failure on the gov not supporting the country's merchants
- Gov was responsible for relations with Burgundy
- Could not prevent the irresponsible actions of piracy and attacks by Warwick
- The Dutch merchants however managed to thrive with similar limited support from their rulers
- English trade was highly restricted
- Could not compete with their Hanseatic or Italian counterpoints
- The English were just taking their cloth to the Netherlands
- The Hanseatic league bought it cheaply and sold it for a higher price elsewhere
By the end of the 15th century, English merchants faced significant challenges, particularly in comparison to their Hanseatic and Dutch counterparts. Political instability, including strained relations with Burgundy and rampant piracy, severely hampered trade, especially in the Baltic, Scandinavia, and Iceland. While the English government struggled to protect its merchants, Hanseatic traders thrived, capitalising on England's misfortunes by purchasing English cloth cheaply and selling it at higher prices. Historians largely attribute this commercial decline to the English government's failure to provide adequate support and security for its merchants.
📌 How did foreign policy affect Henry's economic policy?
- Henry wanted to improve his own position
- Also wanted to increase revenue from trade to fill the royal coffers through:
- Restarted the cloth trade with Burgundy (suspended during the Warbeck campaign)
- Closer relations with Spain – married his son off to Catherine of Aragon
- Spain was in the midst of a 'Golden Age' and was one of the most lucrative markets for European trade
- 1492 saw the discovery of America by a Spanish expedition
Clerical Tax
- Tax from the church
- 1489: £25,000 towards French invasion to kill Warbeck
- Simony: the buying or selling of religious privileges e.g. pardons or benefices
- £300 charged for the Archdeaconry of Buckingham
- Henry deliberately kept Bishoprics vacant so he could receive the income to his own coffers (£6000 per annum)
In 1489, the church contributed a significant sum of £25,000 towards Henry VII's efforts to invade France and eliminate the pretender Perkin Warbeck. Additionally, simony was rampant, with £300 charged for the Archdeaconry of Buckingham. Henry VII exploited his power by deliberately keeping bishoprics vacant, funnelling the annual income of £6,000 into his own coffers.
The French Pension
- The Treaty of Etaples 1492 similar to the Treaty of Picquigny, threatened France with invasion for harbouring Warbeck
- Resulted in a payment of £159,000 as a bribe to prevent the invasion
- In addition to a promise to denounce Warbeck's claim
The Treaty of Etaples in 1492, akin to the Treaty of Picquigny, was a significant diplomatic move where England threatened France with invasion for sheltering the pretender Perkin Warbeck. The agreement resulted in France paying England £159,000 as a bribe to avoid conflict and included a commitment from France to denounce Warbeck's claim to the English throne.
| Section of society | Describe how they were affected by the Wars of the Roses | Rank their involvement /10 | Assess what long term consequences there might be and explain why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aristocracy and Nobles | • 44 noblemen killed in the course of the civil wars • Unknown number of men in the gentry died • Immediate effect felt by their families • Widows left in a vulnerable position • Some lost not only their husbands but often nearly all the men in their immediate family • Duchess of York lost her husband, three of her sons, four grandsons, her brother, two brothers-in-law, a son-in-law and numerous nephews and cousins | 10/10 | • Aristocratic society reshaped by baronial factions and rivalries that caused the civil war • Deaths of many senior members allowed others to rise to greater rank and wealth • Constant flow of new men in positions of power |
| Ordinary people | • Lower levels of society not so greatly affected • Numbers recruited and killed in battles never fully known • Many families devastated by consequences of the war • Many were able to avoid the consequences of the conflict altogether • Surviving records from the period show manors and estates carried on operating as normal • There was no large-scale devastation of the population in general • Tenants of landlords who were involved in conflicts may have felt insecure in their future • Appears that by and large their daily lives were left untouched • Urban society also left untouched • Only a handful of towns were required for billeting military forces • Fewer felt the impact of fighting on the streets • Short term impact • Recovered very quickly | 4/10 | |
| The Church /Clergy | • Also left untouched by the wars of the roses • Church did not become involved in the conflict • Exception of one or two individuals who were involved because of their familial links • Men of religion instead commented on events as they unfolded • Some were the chroniclers of the 15th century on whom we rely on for our knowledge of events | 2/10 |
📌 What was the impact on trade and economy in England 1450-71?
Trade: the action of buying and selling goods and services
Economy: the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services and the supply of money
Impact on citizens
- The wars imposed a financial cost on towns and cities at the heart of England's international trade
- The citizens had to pay soldiers
- Loans were forced out of them
- They had to employ watchmen and repair town walls
- Local taxation increased in frequency and cost
The wars imposed a significant financial burden on England's trade hubs. Citizens were required to support soldiers, take out loans, hire watchmen, repair town walls, and face rising local taxes.
International trade
- There was concern over the main trading links with the Low Countries
- Disruption could be caused by foreign invasion or the threat of invasion
- Shipping was particularly threatened by Warwick's piratical attacks on foreign ships in the Channel in 1459-60 and 1470-71
- His actions made importing and exporting goods a highly risky business
- It did not however bring trading to a halt
- There were threats to important trading links with the Hanseatic League that caused great concern to merchants of London
- Attacks on Hanseatic ships by Warwick damaged relations
- It was a great relief when Edward IV negotiated a peace agreement with the League in 1474
In the mid-15th century, disruptions to key trading links with the Low Countries and the Hanseatic League posed significant risks, especially due to Warwick's attacks on foreign ships. These actions, which threatened shipping and increased the risk of trade, created major concerns for merchants. However, trade continued despite these challenges. A significant relief came in 1474 when Edward IV secured a peace agreement with the Hanseatic League, easing tensions and restoring stability.
Recruitment
- Labourers and tradesmen had to give up their jobs
- Plenty of these men did not return and thus caused financial problems for their widows and families
- The economy was not devastated however
- Rents were not often paid to lords
Many labourers and tradesmen had to leave their jobs, leading to financial hardship for their families when they didn't return. Despite this strain, the economy remained stable, though rent payments to lords were often missed.