Peasants’ Revolt: events (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Peasants' Revolt: events
Background and causes
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 erupted when the government imposed a third Poll Tax, set at one shilling and four pence per person. This heavy taxation burden came at a time when wages remained frozen at their 1347 levels, despite many peasants having died during previous plagues. The combination of high taxes and economic hardship created the perfect conditions for widespread rebellion.
The Poll Tax was particularly burdensome because it was a flat rate that affected everyone equally, regardless of their ability to pay. For poor peasants, this represented a significant portion of their annual income, while wealthy landowners found it relatively easy to afford.
Timeline of major events in 1381
May 31: The spark ignites
The revolt began in Drentwood, Essex, when royal tax collectors arrived demanding payment. A villager named Thomas Baker declared that his community had already paid and refused to contribute more. When the collectors tried to arrest Baker, the local people forced the officials to flee, marking the first act of defiance.
Early June: Rebellion spreads rapidly
The protest movement quickly expanded across Essex. Peasants under the leadership of Jack Straw drove away tax collectors and then marched towards London. Meanwhile, in Kent, rebels led by Wat Tyler and joined by John Ball also began moving towards the capital city.
The speed at which the rebellion spread demonstrates the widespread dissatisfaction with the Poll Tax. Communication networks between villages, likely established through market connections and church relationships, allowed news of the revolt to travel quickly across southeastern England.
June 12: Convergence at Blackheath
The two main groups of protesters - those from Essex and Kent - met at Blackheath, just outside London. Their combined forces numbered several thousand people. Significantly, many London citizens supported the rebels and opened the city gates to allow them entry. The rebels demonstrated their anger by burning John of Gaunt's palace at the Savoy to the ground.
The support of London citizens was crucial to the rebels' initial success. Without this urban backing, the peasant armies might never have gained access to the capital and been able to pressure the king directly.
June 14: First royal meeting at Mile End
King Richard II, only 14 years old at the time, travelled to Mile End to hear the rebels' complaints directly. The peasants presented clear demands including the abolition of serfdom, freedom to leave the land they worked on, amnesty for all rebels, and the removal of corrupt government officials. Richard agreed to meet with them again and made promises to address their concerns.
June 14: Attack on the Tower of London
While the king was away meeting the rebels, other groups attacked the Tower of London, destroying important land ownership records and debt documents. They also executed the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Treasurer, parading their heads on poles through the streets. These two officials were particularly hated for their association with the unpopular Poll Tax.
The destruction of records was strategically important - these documents contained evidence of debts, land obligations, and serfdom arrangements. By burning them, the rebels hoped to make it impossible for landlords to prove peasants' legal obligations.
June 15: The fatal meeting at Smithfield
Richard arranged a second meeting with the rebels at Smithfield, where Wat Tyler presented additional demands. Historical accounts differ about Tyler's behaviour - some observers described him as aggressive towards the king, while others claimed he was simply passionate but not threatening. During the tense confrontation, the Lord Mayor of London stabbed Tyler, and one of Richard's bodyguards finished the killing. Richard managed to calm the volatile situation by promising to meet the rebels' demands and offering them a royal pardon.
June 16: Rebels return home
Believing that the king would honour his promises and that they had achieved their goals, many rebels left London and returned to their home communities.
Late June: Government betrayal and violent suppression
The royal pardon was quickly revoked once the immediate threat had passed. Government soldiers marched into Essex, Kent, East Anglia, and Yorkshire to hunt down rebel leaders and participants. Between 1,500 and 7,000 rebels were executed during this brutal crackdown, effectively ending the revolt through fear and violence.
This betrayal became a lasting symbol of royal duplicity. The scale of executions that followed demonstrated the government's determination to prevent any future peasant uprisings through terror and intimidation.
The role of religion in the revolt
Religious ideas played a crucial part in motivating and justifying the rebellion. Many rebels were influenced by groups like the Lollards, who advocated for greater social equality and church reform.
The Lollards were followers of the religious reformer John Wycliffe. They challenged church authority and promoted ideas about social equality that resonated with the peasants' grievances. Their influence helped frame the revolt as not just an economic protest, but a moral crusade for justice.
John Ball emerged as a particularly important religious figure during the revolt. A priest known for delivering radical sermons, he had been imprisoned multiple times and banned from preaching in 1366 due to his controversial ideas. One of the rebels' first actions when they reached Blackheath was to free Ball from prison, demonstrating his importance to their cause.
When the rebels gathered at Blackheath, Ball delivered his most famous sermon, which became a powerful symbol of the peasants' demands for equality. He proclaimed:
"When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike... Now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty."
This sermon effectively argued that social hierarchy was artificial and against God's original plan for humanity. Ball's religious message gave the rebels a moral justification for challenging the existing feudal system and demanding equal treatment.
John Ball's sermon provided crucial ideological foundation for the revolt. By arguing that social inequality was against God's will, he transformed what could have been seen as mere criminal rebellion into a righteous religious crusade. This religious justification helped maintain rebel morale and unity.
After the revolt's failure, Ball was captured, hanged, drawn, and quartered on July 15, 1381, demonstrating how seriously the authorities took the threat posed by his radical religious ideas.
Key Points to Remember:
- The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was triggered by the third Poll Tax, which placed an unbearable financial burden on already struggling communities
- The revolt followed a clear timeline from May 31 (initial resistance in Essex) to late June (violent government suppression), with key events occurring at Blackheath, Mile End, and Smithfield
- Major figures included the young King Richard II, rebel leaders Wat Tyler and Jack Straw, and the radical priest John Ball
- Religious ideas, particularly John Ball's famous sermon about equality, provided moral justification for the rebels' demands to end serfdom and social inequality
- Although the revolt initially appeared successful when Richard II made promises at Mile End and Smithfield, the government ultimately broke these commitments and brutally crushed the rebellion, executing thousands of participants