In this collection of resources, we examine the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381, a popular uprising that sought dramatic social changes such as the removal of the poll tax, an end to the cap on labour wages, redistribution of the Church's wealth, and the total abolition of serfdom. Although the rebellion was quashed, some of these demands were met by the reigning monarch, Richard II of England. The collection provides the context and deeper causes of the revolt, such as the Hundred Years' War, the Black Death, the structure of medieval society, and the role of the medieval Church.
The principal causes of the Peasants' Revolt were:
- a new poll tax imposed on all peasants irrespective of wealth (the third such tax since 1377)
- the limit by law on wages after labour costs had risen dramatically following the Black Death plague
- unscrupulous landlords trying to turn free labourers back into serfs (aka villeins) to save money on wages
- a general feeling of exploitation by local authorities during a time of economic decline
