First Blood at St Albans: The Wars of Roses Begin
Richard, Duke of York, marched an army to St Albans on May 22, 1455, and attacked King Henry VI's forces in the streets of the town, launching what would become the Wars of the Roses. The battle lasted less than an hour. The Duke of Somerset was killed, the Earl of Northumberland died, and Henry VI was wounded by an arrow and captured. The king had been suffering from a catatonic episode for over a year, during which York served as Lord Protector. When Henry recovered and Somerset regained influence, York raised arms. The battle settled nothing permanently: the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions fought sporadically for 30 years until Henry Tudor's victory at Bosworth in 1485 established the Tudor dynasty.
May 22, 1455
571 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Wars of the Roses
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Henry VI of England
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First Battle of St Albans
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Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
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Richard, Duke of York
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Wars of the Roses
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First Battle of St Albans
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Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York
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Henry VI of England
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House of York
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House of Lancaster
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Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
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Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
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1406
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St Albans
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England
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