Text: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381

Subject: History | Year: 7

Name: _________________________ Class/Set: ____________ Date: ____________

The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 stands as one of the most significant popular uprisings in medieval English history, rooted deeply in the socio-economic upheaval following the Black Death. Consequently, the massive loss of life during the plague had created an acute labour shortage, which inadvertently granted the surviving peasantry greater bargaining power over their wages and mobility. To counter this shift, the ruling elite introduced the Statute of Labourers in 1351, a law designed to peg wages at pre-plague levels and restrict the movement of workers. This legislation caused widespread resentment among the lower orders, who felt that their potential for economic improvement was being unfairly stifled by a redundant feudal hierarchy. Furthermore, the introduction of a series of Poll Taxes to fund the ongoing and expensive Hundred Years' War with France acted as the final catalyst for open rebellion.

The initial spark of the insurrection occurred in May 1381 in the Essex village of Fobbing, where villagers refused to pay the third Poll Tax and drove the tax collectors away. News of this defiance spread rapidly through the home counties, reaching Kent, where a charismatic tiler named Wat Tyler emerged as a prominent leader of the movement. Alongside Tyler, the radical priest John Ball provided the ideological backbone of the revolt through his egalitarian sermons, famously questioning the divine right of the nobility by asking, "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?" Consequently, the rebels began a disciplined march towards London, not as a mindless mob, but as an organised force demanding an audience with the young King Richard II. They sought the total abolition of serfdom and a fairer legal system that did not favour the landed gentry at every turn.

Upon reaching the capital in June, the rebels demonstrated their anger by targeting symbols of high-level corruption and excessive wealth, most notably burning the Savoy Palace belonging to John of Gaunt. Notwithstanding this destruction, the rebels maintained that their loyalty remained with the King himself, believing that he was merely being led astray by "evil councillors" such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury. During their occupation of London, the rebels successfully stormed the Tower of London, resulting in the execution of Sudbury and the Lord Treasurer, which sent shockwaves through the royal court. King Richard II, only fourteen years old at the time, was forced to meet the rebels at Mile End, where he seemingly conceded to their demands by promising charters of manumission to end serfdom.

The climax of the revolt took place at Smithfield on 15 June, where a second meeting was arranged between the King and the rebel leaders. During the negotiations, a confrontation erupted between Wat Tyler and the Mayor of London, William Walworth, resulting in Tyler being mortally wounded in front of his followers. Conversely, as the rebels prepared to retaliate, Richard II displayed remarkable composure by riding toward the crowd and shouting, "I am your captain, follow me!" This bold move effectively de-escalated the immediate threat, as the King led the rebels away from the city and convinced them to return to their homes under the promise of royal pardons. However, once the immediate danger had passed and the rebel forces had dispersed, the King and his advisors reneged on nearly all their promises, asserting that "villeins you are, and villeins you shall remain."

In the immediate aftermath, the revolt was suppressed with significant brutality, and the leaders, including John Ball, were executed to deter future acts of defiance. Nevertheless, the long-term impact of the uprising suggested that the feudal system was becoming increasingly untenable in a post-plague economy. Although serfdom was not abolished by royal decree in 1381, the threat of further unrest meant that landowners became more cautious about imposing heavy-handed demands on their tenants. Consequently, over the following century, the practice of villeinage gradually declined as the English economy transitioned toward a system based on paid labour and tenant farming. Therefore, while the Peasants' Revolt failed to achieve its immediate political objectives, it remains a pivotal moment in the historical narrative of English liberty and social change.

Key Definitions

• Serfdom (Villeinage): A legal and economic system where a peasant was bound to a lord's land and required to perform labour.
• Poll Tax: A flat-rate tax levied on every individual, regardless of their income or wealth.
• Manumission: The formal act of a landholder freeing a serf from their legal obligations and ties to the land.
• Egalitarian: The belief that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Comprehension Questions

1. [Retrieval] Identify two specific reasons mentioned in the first paragraph that caused resentment among the peasantry before the revolt.
2. [Vocabulary] Based on the text, explain what the term "evil councillors" suggests about the rebels' attitude toward King Richard II.
3. [Explain] How did the Black Death indirectly lead to the peasants having more "bargaining power"?
4. [Inference] Why did the King's advisors feel it was necessary to tell the peasants "villeins you are, and villeins you shall remain" after the revolt ended?
5. [Compare] Contrast the immediate outcome of the revolt with its long-term effects on English society.

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⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE

💡 Pedagogical Pulse

• Contextual Delivery: For Year 7, this text serves as an excellent bridge between the "Life in Medieval England" units and the transition towards the Tudor period.
• Misconception Alert: Students often assume the peasants hated the King. Explain: Use the text to highlight that the rebels actually blamed his advisors, which was a common medieval strategy to justify rebellion without committing treason.
• Oracy Tip: Use John Ball's rhyme ("When Adam delved...") as a starter for a "Think-Pair-Share" activity on medieval social hierarchy.
• Differentiation: For lower-ability readers, suggest they highlight the "transition words" (e.g., Consequently, Notwithstanding) to help them navigate the causal links in the dense prose.

🔑 Answer Key & Mirror-Labeling

1. Task 1 Answer (Retrieval): The two reasons are the Statute of Labourers (which pegged wages and restricted movement) and the introduction of the Poll Taxes to fund the Hundred Years' War.
2. Task 2 Answer (Vocabulary): It suggests that the rebels did not blame the King personally for their suffering; they remained loyal to the Crown but believed his advisors were corrupt and giving him bad guidance.
3. Task 3 Answer (Explain): The Black Death caused a labour shortage because so many people died. This meant there were fewer workers available, so the survivors could demand higher pay or better conditions because lords were desperate for people to farm their land.
4. Task 4 Answer (Inference): The advisors wanted to re-establish the traditional social order and show that the illegal uprising had not changed the law. By using this phrase, they were asserting that the peasants had no power to change their status through force and that the hierarchy remained intact.
5. Task 5 Answer (Compare): Immediately, the revolt was a failure: the leaders were executed, the King broke his promises, and serfdom stayed legal. Long-term, however, the revolt made lords fearful of more violence, contributing to the gradual decline of serfdom over the next hundred years as society moved towards paid work.