Edward IV, the Earl of Warwick, and a Changing Urban Sector, 1461–71

Abstract

In the 1460s the urban political sector altered dramatically. The first three sections of this chapter explain how and why these changes occurred. Two of the features that had discouraged urban political engagement in the 1450s—the failure of royal institutions to facilitate inter-urban contact and the lack of a financial stake for townspeople in the success of royal government—no longer existed. The beginning of Edward IV’s reign also coincided with economic changes that brought artisans and gentlemen into municipal politics, many of whom were highly critical of civic governments. In these circumstances, urban and national politics frequently merged and conflict escalated easily. The final section of the chapter focuses on the significant role played by the urban sector in the civil wars of 1469–71, in which townspeople influenced the discourse employed by the earl of Warwick and dictated the course of events.