Peasants' Revolt

• Peasants’ Revolt started against local landlords and tax collectors


  1381
• Protests became a genuine threat to the authority of the king [King Richard II]


  Peasants’ Revolt
• Disputes between landlords and villages were normal during the medieval period, but during the 1300s, it was the worst time for disputes
• Harvest fell by over 50%


  1315 - 1317
• Nearly half of sheep in the country died

  1319 - 1320
• Food shortages led to prices rising
• Gap between poor and rich increased
• The Black Death killed around 50% of the population
• Some villages were wiped out entirely due to the Black Death
• Other villages were left without enough men to work the land and produce food
• Rich nobles were forced to lower rents or raise wages as a result of the Black Death
• Villagers of Rudheath in Cheshire refused to work for their lord unless he reduced rents by at least 33%
• Parliament passed the Statute of Labourers in 1351 to protect the rich and stop peasants from using the shortage of workers to demand higher wages
• Fear from rich landowners was that the Black Death had changed the balance of power across English villages and power needed to be rebalanced
• Britain was at war with France during the Peasants’ Revolt
• First poll tax was imposed on the people of England


  1377
• People were taxed regardless of their wealth
• People were taxed 4d per person, equivalent to a few days of work for an average peasant
• The majority of the tax burden weighed down on peasants rather than landowners
• Second poll tax introduced to fund another invasion of France

  1379
• Widespread opposition remained despite the introduction of the second poll tax
• Third poll tax introduced, charging 1s 4d (2 weeks wages for a labourer) per person

  1381
• King’s tax collector for Essex arrived in Brentwood to collect unpaid poll taxes, sparking the Peasants’ Revolt

  30th May 1381
• Peasants’ Revolt was the result of the demand for tax by the King’s tax collector


  Revolt soon spread
• Disputes between landlords and villages regarding crops and sheep deaths were social reasons for the revolt
• Black Death led to more peasants gaining power, a social reason for the revolt
• Peasants needed taxes to fund invasions against France, an economic reason for the revolt
• Introduction of poll taxes three times infuriated peasants, an economic reason for the revolt
• Statute of Labourers introduced in 1351 restrained peasants from requesting higher wages, a political cause for the revolt
• Peasants were infuriated by the poll taxes introduced by parliament three times, a political cause for the revolt