AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Afternoon  Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2B.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/7042/2B 3 Key areas: 1. Background to the Wars (1450s):  Decline of the Plantagenet Dynasty: The House of Lancaster (Henry VI) and House of York (Edward IV) struggled for control of the English throne. The conflict was rooted in weak leadership, royal incompetence, and factions at court.  Economic and Social Issues: Economic hardship, particularly after the Hundred Years' War, fueled discontent among the nobility and common people, contributing to instability. 2. The Reign of Henry VI (1422–1461):  Weak Monarchy: Henry VI’s mental illness and ineffective rule created a power vacuum, with rival factions (Lancasters vs. Yorkists) vying for control.  The First Battle of St. Albans (1455): The first major battle of the Wars, where the Yorkists (led by Richard, Duke of York) defeated Henry VI’s forces and gained influence.  The ‘Crisis of the Crown’ (1450s): Henry’s mental breakdown and weak leadership caused political chaos, with Yorkists pushing for control. 3. The Wars (1460–1471):  The Battle of Northampton (1460): The Yorkists defeated Henry VI’s forces, and the Act of Accord made Richard, Duke of York, the heir to the throne, sidelining Henry’s son, Edward of Lancaster.  The Battle of Wakefield (1460): Richard, Duke of York, was killed by Lancastrians, but his son, Edward IV, ascended to the throne in 1461.  The Battle of Towton (1461): Edward IV’s decisive victory solidified his control, marking a major turning point in the Wars of the Roses. 4. Edward IV’s Reign (1461–1470):  Stabilization: Edward IV's reign brought relative stability and reforms, but there was continued Lancastrian resistance.  The Readeption of Henry VI (1470–1471): In 1470, the Lancastrians briefly regained power with help from Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (the ‘Kingmaker’), but Edward IV’s return led to the final defeat of the Lancastrians. 5. The Final Lancastrian Defeat (1471):  The Battle of Tewkesbury (1471): The Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians, leading to the death of Edward of Lancaster and the final defeat of the Lancastrian cause.  The Death of Henry VI (1471): After the battle, Henry VI was imprisoned and later killed, cementing Edward IV’s rule. 6. Richard III and the Final Struggles (1483–1485):  Edward IV’s Death and Richard III: Edward IV’s death led to his son, Edward V, becoming king, but Richard III seized the throne, claiming the crown through his role as protector.  The Princes in the Tower: The mysterious disappearance of Edward IV’s sons (the Princes in the Tower) under Richard III’s watch damaged his reputation. IB/M/Jun24/7042/2B 7042/2B Turn over ► IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E3 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2B Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From a declaration made in the parliamentary session of October to November 1460. This was recorded in the Parliamentary Roll, the official record of the English Parliament. King Henry understands that great rebellions are committed in various regions of his realm, contrary to the public good and commonweal, and that these may encourage his foreign enemies. The King has decreed that his dearest cousin Richard, true and rightful heir to England, France, and Ireland, the Duke of York, shall have the task of riding into the regions. Richard shall repress, subdue, and pacify the regions, and resist our foreign enemies. The support of the King’s subjects is necessarily required. The King therefore decrees that every sheriff, mayor, bailiff, officer, official and subject shall support Richard, the King’s cousin, as the case requires. They shall be ready at the command of the King’s cousin, to obey his command as they would obey the King’s command. Any rebellion, disobedience, or offence against the King’s cousin, shall be deemed as if it had been done to or against the King’s person and command. The King’s cousin shall have adequate, suitable, and acceptable reward. 5 10 Source B From a letter to a churchman accompanying Queen Margaret, by Francesco Coppini, the papal legate, 9 January 1461. Coppini wrote from London. Coppini had supported the Yorkists since 1460. The lords with the Queen must not be arrogant because of the unimportant victory they won recently. We have seen and know that all the people are incensed and in the worst possible mood against those who do not desire peace. There are two reasons for this: firstly, the countless acts of cruelty attributed to those lords with the Queen, whereas these lords in London were not cruel, but welcoming. Secondly, whatever else the lords with the Queen claim, the people recognise that the King and the lords currently with him and us, are disposed to an honest and honourable peace. King Henry is not constrained against his free will, as some perverse persons falsely declare, but enjoys his full liberty. Access to him is open to all. This was not the case formerly. Accordingly, the lords with the Queen are to obey the King and believe us, who are labouring for peace and justice. Otherwise, we fear their ruin and destruction. 5 10 3 Source C From the ‘Crowland Chronicle: First Continuation’, written by a well-educated but unnamed senior monk of Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire before 1470. Richard of York was removed from this world at Wakefield. The northern men, aware that there was no one now who would resist them, swept onwards like a whirlwind from the north. In the impulse of their fury, they attempted to overrun the whole of England. Besides the vast amounts of property they collected, they also irreverently rushed, in their frantic rage, into churches, and wickedly plundered them. When priests sought to resist, the wretches cruelly slaughtered them in the churches. Thus, they spread out in vast crowds over a region of 30 miles without being challenged. They covered the whole surface of the earth like locusts, and made their way almost to the walls of London. Word came to us at Crowland that this abominable army had approached to within six miles of our boundaries. Fortunately, after adjoining counties had been given up to dreadful pillage, our abbey, by Divine Grace, was preserved. Therefore the Lord of Mercy raised up a defender, Edward, the illustrious Earl of March. 5 10 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the position of the Lancastrians after the Battle of Northampton in 1460 and before Towton in 1461. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2B Turn over ► 6 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2B Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 To what extent did Richard of York’s political position weaken in the years 1453 to 1457? [25 marks] 0 3 ‘The widespread belief that Richard III had murdered the Princes in the Tower was the main reason why he lost the throne in 1485.’