The Wars of the Roses and the Black Death
The Hundred Years' War concluded in 1453, but internal strife continued in England with the Wars of the Roses. This civil conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster lasted from 1455 to 1485.
Highlight: The Wars of the Roses ended with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, where Henry Tudor defeated Richard III, establishing the Tudor dynasty.
The Black Death, or bubonic plague, was a catastrophic pandemic that originated in Asia and spread to Europe in the mid-14th century. It reached England in 1348, causing massive population loss and significant social changes.
Definition: The bubonic plague was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas living on rats.
The plague's impact was severe due to lack of immunity and the concurrent outbreak of pneumonic plague, which was even more deadly.
Quote: "The bubonic plague spread easily due to a lack of immunity among the population and it was accompanied by outbreaks of the pneumonic plague, that was spread by direct contact and gave no chance of survival."
The pandemic led to widespread panic, with people fleeing cities for the countryside in an attempt to escape infection. The name "Black Death" comes from the dark discoloration of infected bodies after death.
Vocabulary: Yersinia pestis - The bacterium responsible for the bubonic plague, discovered in the 19th century.
The effects of the Hundred Years' War on Europe and the Black Death in England were profound, reshaping social structures, economics, and demographics for generations to come.
