Abstract
This paper examines the Usurpation of Richard III in 1483 and the events leading up to it. England had experienced increasing violence and loss of law and order starting in 1399; the forced removal of a king and the power of the barons. War in France drained the treasury and made the monarchy financially strained. The Wars of the Roses saw violence between the Yorkists and Lancastrians, which resulted in the rise of Edward IV as king. His rule and marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, a lower class noblewoman. Edward elevated her numerous family, creating strife with his brother Richard and the nobles of the realm. Upon Edward IV's death a power struggle ensued to determine who would continue to hold power, wealth, and honor in England.