Impact of the Wars of the Roses on society

IMPACT ON TOWNS Positive: -Some towns regularly sent men to fight. -If towns picked the 'winning side' they were impacted positively (royal favour: grants, licenses, tax, trade improvements). -Very few sieges affected towns (apart from London and some southerly towns). Exeter was the only town to suffer siege in the latter half of the war. (Due to Perkin Warbeck). -The majority of towns were unaffected. (Hull only sent 13 men into battle) -Some had negotiations with the crown. (York established the 'fee-farm' (a reduction in rent payments to the crown) in return for allowing Tudor appointments to the city's administration.  -Towns were not sacked, did not have to fortify their ground, and did not suffer food shortages because of fighting - they were largely unaffected.  Negative: -Urban elites who sided with the losing team were often victims of war. (Mayor of Canterbury was executed by Edward IV for supporting Earl of Warwick). -Towns had to keep patrols as oftentimes fights, rioters, unwelcome nobleman and armies entered unannounced. (Margaret of Anjou was denied access to the capital in February 1961 as pro-Yorkists heard of her armies' reputation from the North for plundering towns and villages on her way to London). -Other towns were active in denying access to those who they did not side with. (Hull created large chains of people across the harbour to deny access to Yorkists ships). -Towns in a way had to support a particular side: they could be reprimanded after battles for not seeing supplies/men and being impartial.

IMPACT ON COMMON PEOPLE Positive: -Growing political activism  -Edward had a policy of 'sparing the commons'. -Commoners used the existing conflict and wars to voice their anger about localised issues (tax, corruption, bribery (Cade's rebellion, Robin of Redesdale etc)).  Negative: -Many were affected in call to fight for their lords in several battles. Towton - 50,000 men.  -Faced with economic depression and a fall in trade and deteriorating living standards. -Edward abandoned his policy of sparing the commons in 1471 and ordered his men to slay any retreating Lancastrian supporters @ Barnet.     

IMPACT ON ARISTOCRACY Positive: - Less involvement from nobles once violence reoccurred in 1469 after the scale of losses in from 1459.  -Over the course, there was a decline in their involvement. (58/70 peers were involved in battle between 1459-1461. Only 18 were present in 1471.) -Nobles resulted to 'trimming' - they would wait to join a side until a victor became inevitable.  The gentry became less involved (as did their retainers) in alignment with the declining involvement from the nobility.  -Involvement was usually confined to the North.  -Armies were small and existed for limited periods of time.  Negative: - 1459-1461 25% of noble houses were wiped out by the conflict.  -Peerages in parliament were affected.  -44 noblemen killed during the Wars of the Roses.  -Nobles took part in 'blood feuds' (like Somerset siding with the Percy's). Some of these continued for decades.   

IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY Cloth industry: -The number of cloths exported between 1470 and 1500 trebled which aided the crown's revenue as customs duties was its highest income.  Wool industry: Foreign relations: Trade: -Increased trade expanded the merchant class. -Each business specialised in a specific commodity.  -A lot of England's trade was conducted through the 'Hanseatic league' (a group of German merchants who had trading privileges across Europe and were exempt from custom duties in England). And, Venetian merchants.  -London had a diverse trade and was less susceptible to trade fluctuations.  -London merchants were rapidly gaining wealth and influence.  Henry VI role:  -Henry's reign marked a low point in trade. His poor relations with Charles VII of France halted the prosperous trade England had with Gascony.  -War began between English merchants (on behalf of the gov) and Hanse merchants. Hanse prevented the passage of English cloth to the East.  -Riots in London between Englishmen and foreigners damaged international relations as it undermined the activity of foreign merchants.  Edward IV role: -Edward IV and Henry VII each tried to provide English merchants with privileges.  -Relationships with Burgundy improved after 1467 upon Louis XI's accession. Improvement in Burgundian trade.  -English and Hanse merchants remained at war on the seas. -Edward's reclaiming of the throne in 1471 with the help of the Hanseatic league re-established good relations returned. -Under Edward, England's direct trade with the East was restored and reopened markets. -The value of land increased in Edward's second reign. He could charge higher rents. Henry VII role: -Edward IV and Henry VII each tried to provide English merchants with privileges.  -1485&1489- 'Navigation Acts' prevented the passage of certain imported goods in foreign ships.  -The Kingdom's market places greatly expanded under Henry.