The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars in England fought between the houses of Lancaster and York from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was a struggle for the throne of England during the historical period known as the Middle Ages. The name "War of the Roses" comes from the emblem of both houses; the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.

The war began with the dissatisfaction of the English nobility with King Henry VI's poor rule. The king suffered from bouts of mental illness and his government was weak and corrupt. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, who was a relative of the king and claimed the throne, became the figurehead of the opposition and the war began.

The war was not a continuous conflict but a series of battles and skirmishes over thirty years. The major battles included the First Battle of St Albans in 1455, the Battle of Towton in 1461, and the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

The war ended with the victory of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Henry, who was a Lancastrian, married Elizabeth of York, uniting the two houses and ending the war.

The Wars of the Roses had a profound impact on England. It resulted in the death of many of the nobility and the crowning and deposing of several kings. It also led to the rise of the Tudor dynasty, which would rule England for over a century.

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