What is Battle of Lewes?
[[File:Battle of Lewes Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 255135.jpg|thumb|right|300px|{{Center|Battle of Lewes Memorial presented to the town in 1964 on the 700th anniversary of the battle}}]] The '''Battle of Lewes''' was an important [[battle]] in the history of England. It was fought near the town of [[Lewes]], in [[Sussex]], [[England]]. The battle took place on 14 May 1264.<ref name=Maddicott588>J. R. Maddicott, 'The Mise of Lewes, 1264', ''The English Historical Review'', Vol. 98, No. 388 (July 1983), p. 588</ref> It was one of two main [[battle]]s of the [[conflict]] known as the [[Second Barons' War]]. == Background == The two armies that met in the battle were led by [[King]] [[Henry III of England]] and a rebel leader, [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]].<ref name=Maddicott588/> Henry III's son, [[Edward I of England|Prince Edward]], fought on his side. The battle came about because many of the leading [[noblemen]] of England were unhappy with the way King Henry was ruling the country. They wanted more involvement in the government. The Barons voted to hold a [[Parliament]] regularly so that they could discuss subjects such as [[taxation]]. King Henry would not agree to this, and so both sides started to raise armies. When the two sides met at Lewes two days before, Simon de Montfort tried to arrange a [[truce]] with the king.<ref name=Maddicott588/> King Henry refused and so both sides got ready to fight a battle. == The battle == The king's army was nearly twice as big as the rebel army. The battle began when the Baronial forces attacked the king's [[:en:wikt:forager|foragers]]. When the fighting started, it looked as though the king's army would win easily. Prince Edward, who was only 25, was headstrong and made one big mistake. Edward was in charge of the [[cavalry]], who did well in the battle but then chased some of the rebels who were running away.<ref name=Prestwich114>Michael Prestwich, ''Plantagenet England 1225-1360'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2007), p. 114</ref> By the time