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The Wars of the Roses: History Worksheet

A two-page illustrated information sheet about the Wars of the Roses and how Henry VII became the first Tudor monarch.

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War of the Roses KS3 Teaching Resources

Teach any wars of the roses topic, no prep needed.

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Revision notes, student activities.

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KS3 Wars of the Roses Resources

The Wars of the Roses were civil wars between 1455 and 1485 for the throne of England. The Lancasters were represented by a red rose, while the Yorks were a white rose. Over the course of 30 years, the outbreaks of conflict managed to eliminate every male heir from both families - taking the surplus to the opposite extreme.

Learn more about the Wars of the Roses, including the causes, battles, and outcome of the Wars of the Roses, and the key figures of the houses of York and Lancaster with our KS3 resources. You’ll find Student Activities, Lesson Presentation, and Revision Notes ready to download below. KS3 resources are ideally suited for Years 7, 8 and 9, or ages 11-14.

Resource Examples

Lesson presentation:.

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War of the Roses Lesson Plan, Battles and Timeline

• Noreen Gunnell
• Categories : Teaching middle school history
• Tags : Teaching middle school grades 6 8

The History

The War of the Roses began in 1455 and ended in 1485. However, the timeline has its roots in 1399, the year the Duke of Lancaster, Henry Bolingbroke, ousted his cousin, King Richard II, from the throne. The House of Lancaster and the House of York were rivals from that point. Competing families with similar symbols, sibling rivalry, madness and murder were all part of the War of the Roses. Battles were clashes in a series of civil wars between the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) and the House of York (White Rose), and so the conflict is often called the Wars of the Roses as well.

Both houses could trace their ancestry back to King Edward III and the royal Plantagenet family and Richard, Duke of York would have been in line for the throne had it not been for Henry VI and his son Edward. During the Hundred Years War, in 1436, York was made Lieutenant of France and, as such, funded the service of the English army in France. This fact would become a thorn in York’s side years later when, in 1445, King Henry VI appointed Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset to York’s position in France and provided him with the funds to pay the army. The thorn was shoved deeper when, on Somerset’s advice, York was exiled to Ireland as Lieutenant of that country.

Somerset was an incompetent officer and France soon won strategic towns and eventually Normandy. Disliked by his subjects, Henry VI still held Somerset in high esteem. Further loses in 1451 (Bordeaux and Gascony), made the king and his cronies extremely unpopular. This unpopularity, the military defeats, and the first onset of madness in the king-which caused a type of paralysis-afforded York the chance to remove Henry VI and arrest Somerset.

The stage was set. York becomes Protectorate of England in 1454 and the following year the Battle of St. Alban’s is the opening salvo in the War of the Roses.

Use the timeline and battles lesson below for your War of the Roses lesson plans. Primary dates and War of the Roses battles are included.

War of the Roses Lesson Plan

Lesson Focus: War of the Roses battles

Grade Level : 7-12 (easily adapted to most grade levels)

Prior Knowledge : none

Materials : Rose Outline Print Outs

Lesson Outline :

Assign half the class as the House of York (White Rose) and half as the House of Lancaster (Red Rose). Note-printables are black and white. Coloring in the petals is optional - but fun at any age!

Using the War of the Roses Battles below, have each student label their petals with battles that were a victory for their side. (Students need more than one rose each so have extras available).

The Battle name, date, and outcome should be required. Details, such as why it was significant or who the major figures involved were, can be added depending on grade level. In this case, a rose print out may be required for each battle.

War of the Roses Battles

First Battle of St. Albans, May 22, 1455

Battle of Blore Heath, September 23, 1459

Battle of Ludford Bridge, October 12, 1459

Battle of Northampton, July 10, 1460

Battle of Wakefield, December 30, 1460

Battle of Mortimor’s Cross, February 2, 1461

Second Battle of St. Albans, February 17, 1461

Battle of Ferrybridge, March 28, 1461

Battle of Towton, March 29, 1461

Battle of Hedgeley Moor, April 25, 1464

Battle of Hexam, May 15, 1464

Battle o Edgecote Moor, July 26, 1469

Battle of Losecote Field, March 12, 1470

Battle of Barnet, April 14, 1471

Battle of Tewkesbury, May 4, 1471

Battle of Bosworth Field, August 22, 1485

Battle of Stoke, June 16, 1487

Timeline of Other Key Events

The above War of the Roses Lesson Plan can be adapted to include key events in the conflict. Students can make a War of the Roses timeline with their rose, or can list events beneficial to either the House of York or House of Lancaster.

• Richard, Duke of York comes back from Ireland, August 1450.
• Henry VI has his first attack of insanity, December 1453.
• York starts his first appointment as Protectorate of England, April 1454.
• York’s Protectorate comes to a close, February 1455.
• Henry VI dies on May 1, 1471.
• An ill Edward IV names his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester Protector following his death. Spring 1483.
• Edward IV dies on April 9, 1483.
• Edward V, a child, becomes king. His Uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester has him stay in the Tower of London with his brother, Prince Richard, until the coronation.
• Edward V’s coronation canceled, June 16, 1483.
• The two princes are deemed illegitimate by Parliament. They never leave the tower and are widely believed to have been murdered. June 25, 1483.
• Gloucester is made King Richard III on June 26, 1483.
• King Richard III is killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
• The Tudor Dynasty begins with Henry Tudor in 1483.
• War of the Roses Ends, June 16, 1487.
• Image Credit, www.jetpens.com
• Medieval Life and Times, www.medieval-life-and-times.info
• Wars of the Roses, www.warsoftheroses.com
• Image Credit, www.mappery.com

This post is part of the series: World History in A Year (or 10 Months) Part 4

A series of World History Curriculum ideas. Contains lesson plans and activities for use in a World History Class.

• Lesson Plan, Battles & Timeline for the War of the Roses
• Political Cartoon Lesson Plan Using Cartoons From World War II
• A Social Studies Lesson Plan on UXBs in WW II: Some Real Duds
• WebQuests on Conflict Resolutions and Treaties

Schoolshistory.org.uk

History resources, stories and news. Author: Dan Moorhouse

Infographic: Course of the War of the Roses

The War of the Roses is a difficult set of events to understand. Roughly 50 years of plots, counter plots, invasions along with the odd execution, murder and disappearance. As with any complex set of events it can be broken down into more accessible chunks. Here’s a handy graphic that highlights some of the key moments of the War of the Roses. From the failure of Cade’s rebellion and the emergence of a firm Yorkist claim to the throne, through to the Tudor invasion, victory and consolidation of power.

Of course this is a visualisation of the headlines. Each of these twelve areas needs exploration if a full understanding is to be gained. We haven’t just listed battles or people here. Instead, we’ve tried to highlight the way in which the conflict ebbed and flowed. There were long periods in which there was relative peace. There were battles in which very few people were engaged. Some military encounters that are terms battles would, in many circumstances, just be called a stand off, or skirmish in many contexts. Other battles are much larger, such as the Battle of Towton .

Over on our Facebook Page we have another War of the Roses Infographic that highlights the key battles and personalities. Alongside this visualiser, it covers the core knowledge that a student will need if they are studying the War of the Roses. The chronology, the names and a hint at the consequences of events are covered.

For depth, assess the reigns of the different monarchs of the era. Also look up the role of key individuals such as Richard, Duke of York, Warwick the Kingmaker. Don’t forget other members of the two royal households such as the two Queens, Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV’s brother, the sometimes scheming George, Duke of Clarence.

The causes of the War can be traced back further. For that, look up a Plantagenet Family Tree. It shows the blood line claims of the various people who had some kind of right to say that they ought to be monarch. Kingship at the time was not just about blood line though, the politics of the day required strength of conviction and character as much as anything.

The Plantagenets – War of the Roses – Henry VI – Edward IV – Edward V – Richard III – Henry VII

Causes of the Wars of the Roses  –  Battles of the Wars of the Roses  –  Personalities of the Wars of the Roses  –  Women in the Wars of the Roses  –  Timeline of the Wars of the Roses  –  Infographic: Key Facts on the Wars of the Roses  –  Primary and Secondary Sources on the Wars of the Roses  –  Nathen Amin – the Rise of the Beaufort’s and Tudor England

• ← John Rous and opinions of Richard III
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19th February 2020

The War of the Roses

The War of the Roses was a war that determined who would become King of England. It was fought between the House of Lancaster, who were fought under the red rose, and the House of York, who fought under a white rose.

The war began on 22nd May 1455 and ended on 16th June 1487. It ended with Henry VII from the House of Lancaster becoming king, after Richard III died on the battlefield. Henry married Elizabeth from the House of York, an attempt to reunite the two houses (a medieval way of saying “families”.)

In 1422, Henry VI succeeded his father at just nine months old. He didn’t actually become the King of England until 1429, and King of France until 1431. He wasn’t very interested in politics and couldn’t control his court.

Because of this, he had a mental breakdown in 1453. Richard, the Duke of York, was made Lord Protector. Henry recovered in 1455, and a civil war started that would become known as the War of the Roses.

Battle of Bosworth

The Battle of Bosworth was the last major battle of the War of the Roses. It is also the most famous battle of the war. Richard III was killed during battle, making him the last English king to die in battle. After this battle, Henry VII became king.

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War of the Roses Timeline lesson

Subject: History

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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Timeline Lesson Bundle - Hundred Years War and War of the Roses

This bundle combines the two timeline lessons but it also provides you with resources that allow you to examine the historical significance of the events and people within the timelines. The Keep Calm sheet allows for an anachronistic lesson or homework assignment for the Hundred Years War or the War of the Roses

Medieval Pick 'n Mix 1066-1485

Create a cube, learn where names come from, how castles were attacked and who was Thomas Beckett. Create timelines, flags and historical profiles. 1066, Castles, Beckett, Roman Impact, Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses.

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Home » For History Teachers on the Wars of the Roses

For History Teachers on the Wars of the Roses

Apart from the set texts which are written for each A level specification and the material in this website, we recommend the following to support teaching on the Wars of the Roses:

The Wars of the Roses for A Level by Ian Dawson

SchoolsHistory.org by Dan Moorhouse

For a general discussion of Medieval History resources for teachers, the Historical Association offer this very extensive booklet edited by Ian Dawson.

An excellent summary of the key personnel in the 15th century is published online by the Historical Association, written by Louisa Dunn

A very extensive guide to sources is also published online by the Historical Association, written by Jonathan Cripps, Kirstie Murray and Helen Snelson

Members of the Historical Association (Secondary) will find the following podcasts here free to use in schools.

Wars of the Roses (13 mins) by Professor Michael Hicks;

Henry VI (50 mins) by Professor Anne Curry;

Richard III (10 mins) by Professor Michael Hicks;

Henry VII (19 mins; 22 mins and 4 mins) by Dr Sean Cunningham.

The BBC History Extra magazine has an edition on the Wars of the Roses .

Our Adult Education page on this website contains a very extensive reading list much of which will be accessible to A level students of History.

Encyclopaedia Britannica has a succinct article on the Wars of the Roses from birth to death of King Henry VI.

This blog has sound, practical advice to students on how to read historical texts.

Key Stage 3/4

The King Richard III Experience in Leicester offer a range of learning visits as does the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre .

Collins publish a KS3 book on Medieval Britain (410-1509) as part of their Knowing History series.

Galore Park published (May 2022) a revised edition of their 13+ Common Entrance History support books.

Ideas from The National Archives about medieval castles with lesson plans:

Framlingham

More Kenilworth

To provide some light relief from the hardships of 15th century history you may like to have your students listen to songs recently recorded on themes about Richard III.

a medieval woman teaching girls to read. BL MS Harley 3828 f. 27

More information

A Description of Henry Vll (c. 1500) From Polydore Vergil's The Anglia Historica 1485-1537

Henry VII l Henry VIII l Edward VI l Mary I l Elizabeth I l ( Lady Jane Grey reigned as Queen for just 9 days.)

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