The Peasants' Revolt 1381, Begun By A Baker Serf. The 14th Century, 100 Years of Struggle [View all]

Last edited Mon Mar 22, 2021, 12:16 PM - Edit history (3)

- The 14th century has been called the world's worst time to live. On top of the plague- the Black Death- famine and continual wars, there was severe oppression and harsh taxation. The conditions led to rebellion in medieval Britain. TIMELINE 2018. Part 1.




- King Richard II meeting with the rebels of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

- The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, 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 pandemic 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 final trigger for the revolt was the intervention of a royal official, John Bampton, in Essex on 30 May 1381. His attempts to collect unpaid poll taxes in Brentwood ended in a violent confrontation, which rapidly spread across the south-east of the country. A wide spectrum of rural society, including many local artisans and village officials, rose up in protest, burning court records and opening the local gaols. The rebels sought a reduction in taxation, an end to the system of unfree labour known as serfdom, and the removal of the King's senior officials and law courts.

..The Peasants' Revolt has been widely studied by academics. Late 19th-century historians used a range of sources from contemporary chroniclers to assemble an account of the uprising, and these were supplemented in the 20th century by research using court records and local archives. Interpretations of the revolt have shifted over the years. It was once seen as a defining moment in English history, but modern academics are less certain of its impact on subsequent social and economic history. 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. The revolt has been widely used in socialist literature, including by the author William Morris, and remains a potent political symbol for the political left, informing the arguments surrounding the introduction of the Community Charge in the United Kingdom during the 1980s..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peasants%27_Revolt



- 15th-century representation of the cleric John Ball encouraging the rebels; Wat Tyler is shown in red, front left.




- The Peasants' Revolt of 1381, Part 2.





- 15th century portrait of John of Gaunt depicted with his coat of arms.
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340 – 1399) was an English prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the 3rd of the 5 sons of King Edward III of England who survived to adulthood. Due to his royal origin, advantageous marriages, and some generous land grants, Gaunt was one of the richest men of his era, and was an influential figure during the reigns of both his father, Edward, and his nephew, Richard II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Gaunt



- The Savoy Palace, considered the grandest nobleman's townhouse of medieval London, was the residence of John of Gaunt until it was destroyed during rioting in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.. In the 14th century, when the Strand was paved as far as the Savoy, it was the vast riverside London residence of John of Gaunt, a younger son of King Edward III who had inherited by marriage the title and lands of the Dukes of Lancaster. He was the nation's power broker and in his time was the richest man in the kingdom second to the king. The Savoy was famous for its owner's magnificent collection of tapestries, jewels, and other ornaments.. .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoy_Palace