History glossary
attainder
a legal condemnation that could remove property and inheritance.
- Category
- Legal measure
- Region
- England
- Date range
- 1453–1487
What it means
Acts of attainder condemned people for offences such as treason and could confiscate estates and damage their heirs’ rights. Reversal of attainders helped successive regimes reward returning supporters.
Stories using this term
The English Civil War
Civil war between king and Parliament led to regicide, a republic, and lasting constitutional change.
The Wars of the Roses
From Henry VI’s failing government to Yorkist victories, the missing princes and Henry Tudor’s contested settlement, England’s crown changed hands through war and shifting loyalty.
