Peasants' Revolt

Quick Facts: Who was Peasants' Revolt?

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Peasants' Revolt

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Major English uprising in 1381, fueled by economic hardship and war taxes.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Uprising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black Death in the 1340s, the high taxes resulting from the conflict with France during the Hundred Years' War, and instability within the local leadership of London. The revolt heavily influenced the course of the Hundred Years' War by deterring later Parliaments from raising additional taxes to pay for military campaigns in France. Interpretations of the revolt by academics have shifted over the years. It was once seen as a defining moment in English history, in particular causing a promise by King Richard II to abolish serfdom, and a suspicion of Lollardy, but modern academics are less certain of its impact on subsequent social and economic history.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The revolt has been widely used in socialist literature, including by the author William Morris, and remains a potent symbol for the political left, informing the arguments surrounding the introduction of the Community Charge in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. The term "Peasants' Revolt" does not occur in contemporary chronicles, which did not give the events a specific title, and the term "peasant" did not appear in the English language until the 15th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was generally known as "the Insurrection of Wat Tyler". Though Paul Strohm once commented "which eighteenth- or nineteenth-century historian first used the doubly discredited phrase 'Peasants' Revolt' I have been unable to determine", he first found the term used in John Richard Green's Short History of the English People in 1874. The name has been critiqued by modern historians such as Strohm and Miri Rubin, both on the grounds that many in the movements were not peasants, and that the events more closely resemble a prolonged protest or rising rather than a revolt or rebellion.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Alternative terms include "the 1381 Rising" and "the English Rising of 1381". The Peasants' Revolt was fed by the economic and social upheaval of the 14th century. At the start of the century, the majority of English people worked in the countryside economy that fed the country's towns and cities and supported an extensive international trade. Across much of England, production was organised around manors, controlled by local lords – including the gentry and the Church – and governed through a system of manorial courts. Some of the population were unfree serfs, who had to work on their lords' lands for a period of time each year, though the balance of free and unfree varied across England, and in the south-east serfdom was relatively rare.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1381: 1381 Milestone — The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Uprising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381.
2. 1874: 1874 Milestone — Though Paul Strohm once commented "which eighteenth- or nineteenth-century historian first used the doubly discredited phrase 'Peasants' Revolt' I have been unable to determine", he first found the term used in John Richard Green's Short History of the English People in 1874.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Peasants' Revolt

True or False: “The term 'Peasants' Revolt' was used consistently to describe the 1381 uprising by contemporary chroniclers.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Contemporary chronicles did not give the events a specific title, and the term 'peasant' itself did not appear in English until the 15th century.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Erik of Pomerania — Historical peer (Born in 1381) (1381): King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, ruling over the Kalmar Union.
• John Ball (priest) — Historical peer (Died in 1381) (1381): English priest central to the Peasants' Revolt, known for radical sermons on social equality.
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Historical peer (Born in 1874) (1874): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Adolphe Quetelet — Historical peer (Died in 1874) (1874): Pioneering Belgian statistician, founder of anthropometry, and social scientist.

Frequently Asked Questions about Peasants' Revolt