How Did Henry Vi Lose The Power In Medieval England

During the rule of the feeble minded King Henry VI and the genius Queen Margaret of Anjou, there was civil unrest in Medieval England due to whom should be the heir to the throne. Henry VI suffered mental breakdowns and so Richard, Duke of York, exploited his claim on the throne garnered by his ties with previous King Henry V. Henry VI and previous kings of England where from the Lancastrian family this meant this was the first instance of non York conformation. This set the beginning of the War of the Roses, based on the questionable rulings and the extreme power of the high nobility in England creating a power struggle between Lancaster and York. Thus it prompted for many changes that would ultimately benefit England in the long run, through
enhancement/sophistication of parliament, society, and culture.
Whomever controlled the Crown in England would have very distinct control of the rules/regulations of England.
Let’s rewind this back a bit, it was Henry VI who set of the unbalance since at the time he was suppose to be King, he was too young. This meant a regent was appointed over him. His family ruled like an oligarchy. This is a primary reason that so many nobles questioned who should be king of England. Because of the power struggle between Lancasters and Yorks, the nobility would also lose power. It was during the reign of Henry V that the commons exerted a larger influence over England. The commons refers to not the peasants of Medieval England but the landowners and knights as well as noblemen.(Knights of the Shire) These commons were the first to have a say in the taxation of their land. Under Henry VI, son of Henry V, it was decided to limit the voices of some by mandating only those whose land was worth over 40 shillings a year could be represented. Although this was a tyrannical decision it also meant that laws were being made by the king/parliament and having a record kept of them. (Wording) The Clerks of Parliament were created to keep the record of these laws that would later be known to be the Original Acts according to the “The Evolution of Parliament” (1) from Living Heritage. Another factor was that the houses wanting to gain the crown needed the will of the people. At the time it is when Westminster Abbey’s importance shifts. The Abbey was a meeting place
such as a town hall usually used for religious purposes until the 1540s where it became the venue for lawmaking. It first began with criticism from the Commons to the throne. The same criticism had been used before leading to the first impeachment in 1414. [Although the power struggle ensued from House of Lancaster and House of York, the people of England did not live in anarchy instead they had rules and punishments known as attainments that would be for anyone who committed a crime and thus would have their civil rights taken away and any land own or granted to them.(“Origins and Growth of Parliament.” Citizen or Subject, The National Archives)]
Nobility ruled; It ruled the land, the laws, and the people. -EXPLAIN THIS- Bastard feudalism was an issue because it meant that the lords (Landlords) would lend a person land in exchange for them to work on it. In many times they were servants to their lords and would fight battles for them. It also became somewhat common to have those servants as feoffees. This meant they could be used to avoid taxation on their land or as it was know: fief. This was almost like a trust and dependent situation that we employ today just as J.P. Somerville wrote in “The Causes of the Wars of the Roses.” Many soldiers were put out of jobs because the Hundred Years war had ended and there was relative peaces for a while. Even once the War of the Roses began Battles were far and few between. It was only when they called upon in small groups of ragtag mercenaries which hoped to earn a better living. (Irony-EXPLAIN) There were disadvantages and advantages; being that the armies could be set up with the help of many families but it also meant having to reach out to them making the process very slow proving to be decisive in battle. (Couldn’t shoot an email more like days between responses and help)
The sophistication of culture (In England) really began when the War of the Roses ended.
It is the influence it still holds of Knights in armor, Kings and queens and absurdity (brutality) on the stories told today such as the hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin who has stated he is most closely inspired by the events of the War of the Roses. [Tharoor, Ishaan. “How Game of Thrones Drew on the Wars of the Roses.” The Guardian, ] The war also inspired William Shakespeare, and it should be noted that it was Shakespeare who first referred to this War as being between roses in one of his plays when each House was seen choosing a white rose or red rose. It also helped that the metal part printing press was brought and used to make literary works readily available. It began in 14__,(same time as Blank) printing famous works of literature such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and “The Morte D'arthur” from [Moore, Andrew. “Short History of English Literature.” Short History of English Literature,]. Moore adds to the list of literature of Tudor Lyric poems that followed the medieval works once Henry Tudor took the mantle of King. (Who ended the War of the Roses.) It wasn’t until Henry VIII who did his own Poetry that it became popular. This general time of prosperity under the Tudor dynasty would lead to the basis of innovation for literature. Thea certain model of Swoppet knights were inspired by the Knights of the Shire during the war of the Roses.
These model toys were first made in 1905 but the War of the Roses series began later. Even though it had been over 400 years later the War of the Roses provided for an inspiration. (To keep track of the important events in English history) ranges from small to large and in between.