Peasants' Revolt

A major English uprising in 1381, driven by resistance to taxation, serfdom, and other social and economic grievances. Rebels marched on London, where the king’s government suppressed the revolt.

Black Death: The pandemic that killed millions across Europe and Asia in the mid-fourteenth century. Population loss strengthened workers’ bargaining power and intensified disputes over wages and labor obligations.
John Ball: An English priest associated with radical preaching about social equality in the late fourteenth century. His preaching gave some rebels a language for challenging inherited social hierarchy.
John of Gaunt: A powerful English prince, landowner, and political figure, the son of Edward III. Rebels targeted his Savoy Palace, associating him with unpopular government and lordship.
Statute of Labourers 1381: An English statute that reaffirmed labor controls after the Peasants' Revolt. Its reissue showed the government’s rejection of rebel demands for freedom from labor restrictions.
Statute of Labourers 1351: An English law that sought to limit wages and compel workers to accept employment after the Black Death. Its restrictions fueled resentment among laborers whose bargaining power had risen.
Wat Tyler: A rebel leader who commanded forces during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. His leadership helped organize the march to London and negotiations with the king.
Simon Sudbury: Archbishop of Canterbury and chancellor of England, killed by rebels in 1381. His execution reflected rebel anger toward royal administration and the church hierarchy.
Poll taxes in medieval England: Per-person taxes imposed by the English crown, including the levies that preceded the 1381 revolt. The government did not impose another poll tax in England for many years after the uprising.
Poll tax: A tax levied as a fixed amount on each person or household member. Repeated poll taxes, especially the levy of 1380, helped provoke the uprising.
Mile End: A district outside medieval London where Richard II met rebel representatives in June 1381. The king granted concessions there while much of the rebel force entered the city.

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