Famous Men of the Middle Ages · Ch. XXXI, part 1 · Unit 9: The end of the Middle Ages
39. Warwick the Kingmaker, part 1: The Wars of the Roses begin
Goal: Your child can tell who Warwick was, why the duke of York claimed the throne, and why the war was called the Wars of the Roses.
You'll need
- The book, open to this chapter
- A map of Europe and the Mediterranean (a free online map or a globe)
- Paper and colored pencils
- Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)
What's in the book
Chapter XXXI, section I (1428-1471): the earl of Warwick, the "kingmaker," is the richest and most powerful man in England, with a great castle and thousands fed daily. King Henry VI, son of Henry V, often loses his reason. Warwick tells his cousin Richard, duke of York, that he has the better claim to the throne. Their petition is ignored, and a thirty-year war begins: the Lancastrians with a red rose, the Yorkists with a white. Henry is captured, and Parliament agrees that York shall be king after him.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find Warwick in the middle of England, then York in the north and London. Say: This is the last chapter of the book. It is about a war between two branches of the same royal family.
Read the chapter
Read section I aloud. It begins:
The earl of Warwick, known as the "kingmaker," was the most famous man in England for many years after the death of Henry V.
Tell it back
Prompts:
- How rich and powerful was Warwick?
- What was wrong with King Henry VI?
- Why did Warwick say the duke of York had a better claim?
- What did Parliament decide after the first battle?
Draw the family tree
Draw a simple tree together. At the top: Edward III (the Black Prince's father). Below him, two of his sons: Lionel (the second son) and the duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt (the fourth son). Under Lancaster write Henry V, then Henry VI. Under Lionel write "Richard, duke of York" (his claim came through his mother's side). Color the Lancaster side red and the York side white.
Remember it
Read this:
The Lancastrians took a red rose for their badge; the Yorkists a white one.
Add "Wars of the Roses begin" to the timeline.
Talk it over
Ask: Warwick said, "Let us first ask for reform," before going to war. Do you think he really wanted peace? What could Henry VI have done to stop the war?
Afterwards
Ask your child to explain the family tree and which rose each side wore.
Tip
The family tree is the key to this chapter. Keep it out for part 2; your child will add to it.
Answers to the book's problems
He had a great castle, a guard of six hundred men, a hundred and ten estates, the whole city of Worcester and three islands, and fed 30,000 people daily. He often lost his reason, so others had to govern for him. York's claim came through Lionel, an older son of Edward III, and through both his father and his mother. Henry would stay king for life, and then the crown would go to the duke of York.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.