Battle of Blore Heath - War of the Roses

Battle of Blore Heath - War of the Roses Battle of Blore Heath - Conflict Date: The Battle of Blore Heath was fought September 23, 1459, during the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). Armies Commanders: Lancastrian James Touchet, Baron AudleyJohn Sutton, Baron Dudley8,000-14,000 men Yorkists Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury3,000-5,000 men Battle of Blore Heath - Background: Open fighting between the Lancastrian forces of King Henry VI and the Richard, Duke of York began in 1455 at the First Battle of St. Albans. A Yorkist victory, the battle was a relatively minor engagement and Richard did not attempt to usurp the throne. In the four years that followed, an uneasy peace settled over the two sides and no fighting occurred. By 1459, tensions had again risen and both sides actively began recruiting forces. Establishing himself at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, Richard began summoning troops for action against the king. These efforts were countered by the Queen, Margaret of Anjou who was raising men in support of her husband. Learning that Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury was moving south from Middleham Castle in Yorkshire to join Richard, she dispatched a newly raised force under James Touchet, Baron Audley to intercept the Yorkists. Marching out, Audley intended to set an ambush for Salisbury at Blore Heath near Market Drayton. Moving onto the barren heathland on September 23, he formed his 8,000-14,000 men behind a great hedge facing northeast towards Newcastle-under-Lyme. Battle of Blore Heath - Deployments: As the Yorkists approached later that day, their scouts spotted the Lancastrian banners which protruded over the top of the hedge. Alerted to the enemys presence, Salisbury formed his 3,000-5,000 men for battle with his left anchored on a wood and his right on his wagon train which had been circled. Outnumbered, he intended to fight a defensive battle. The two forces were separated by Hempmill Brook which ran across the battlefield. Wide with steep sides and a strong current, the stream was a significant obstruction for both forces. Battle of Blore Heath - Fighting Begins: The fighting opened with fire from the opposing armies archers. Due to the distance separating the forces, this proved largely ineffectual. Realizing that any attack on Audleys larger army was doomed to fail, Salisbury sought to lure the Lancastrians out of their position. To accomplish this, he began a feigned retreat of his center. Seeing this, a force of Lancastrian cavalry charged forward, possibly without orders. Having accomplished his goal, Salisbury returned his men to their lines and met the enemy assault. Battle of Blore Heath - Yorkist Victory: Striking the Lancastrians as they crossed the stream, they repelled the attack and inflicted heavy losses. Withdrawing to their lines, the Lancastrians reformed. Now committed to the offensive, Audley led a second assault forward. This achieved greater success and the bulk of his men crossed the stream and engaged the Yorkists. In a period of brutal fighting, Audley was struck down. With his death, John Sutton, Baron Dudley, took command and led forward an additional 4,000 infantry. Like the others, this attack proved unsuccessful. As the fighting swung in the favor of the Yorkists, around 500 Lancastrians deserted to the enemy. With Audley dead and their lines wavering, the Lancastrian army broke from the field in a rout. Fleeing the heath, they were pursued by Salisburys men as far as the River Tern (two miles away) where additional casualties were inflicted. Battle of Blore Heath - Aftermath: The Battle of Blore Heath cost the Lancastrians around 2,000 killed, while the Yorkists incurred around 1,000. Having defeated Audley, Salisbury camped at Market Drayton before pressing on to Ludlow Castle. Concerned about Lancastrian forces in the area, he paid a local friar to fire a on cannon the battlefield through the night to convince them that the battle was ongoing. Though a decisive battlefield victory for the Yorkists, the triumph at Blore Heath was soon undercut by Richards defeat at Ludford Bridge on October 12. Bested by the king, Richard and his sons were forced to flee the country. Selected Sources UK Battlefields Resource Centre: Battle of Blore HeathWars of the Roses: Blore Heath

Made in the USA makes a comeback

Made in the USA makes a comeback When American companies started outsourcing manufacturing jobs overseas, there was a huge economic impact that many feared would drag the American economy down. According to MarketWatch, there were 150,000 American manufacturing jobs sent overseas in 2003, which brought the grand total of jobs lost to anywhere between three and four million. But in 2014, only 50,000 American jobs were sent overseas and that has given many American business analysts reason to think that American manufacturing is gaining momentum. But it isn’t just the drastic drop in outsourced manufacturing jobs that is getting Americans excited. In 2014, MarketWatch estimates that nearly 60,000 manufacturing jobs were brought back to the United States in a trend being called reshoring. The net gain of 10,000 jobs in 2014 is giving many American manufacturers reasons to believe that the â€Å"Made in the USA† label is going to start showing up on a lot more products.Why Is Reshoring Happening?When Ameri can companies started to outsource their manufacturing needs to countries such as China and India, the wages in those countries were extremely low. As the American companies pump more money into those growing economies, wages are going up and the increased costs involved with shipping and tariffs are combining to make it much cheaper to make products in the United States.Forbes Magazine also suggests that the instability in the economy over the past few years has made American companies hesitant to invest in the large amounts of inventory required to make outsourcing profitable. These days, American companies want to be able to buy only what they need and they also want to be able to make changes to their products to fit consumer trends. By making their products in the United States, these companies can cut down on the amount of inventory they need to invest in and make changes to their products in a cost-efficient manner.American Pride Is Kicking InThere has always been a large con tingency of the American public that prefers to buy products that are made in America and, according to Reshoring Initiative, the lure of profits tied to selling products made in America is becoming very strong with American and foreign companies. Even foreign manufacturers are building plants and hiring more workers to build products in the United States, which could mean a proliferation of â€Å"Made in the USA† around the world.What Does The Future Hold?One of the biggest proponents of the reshoring movement is Wal-Mart. Since Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world, it can often dictate the future of the manufacturing industry. According to the MarketWatch article, Wal-Mart plans to invest more than $250 billion additional dollars in products made in America. While most observers are not expecting all three to four million outsourced jobs to come back in the immediate future, then trends we are seeing indicate that manufacturing could be coming back to the United St ates in a very big way.When economics team up with patriotism, you get a resurgence in an American industry that many thought was dying. With reshoring creating a net increase in the number of manufacturing jobs being created in the United States each year, it is starting to look like American ingenuity and hard work are being rewarded.