Causes of the Peasants' Revolt Flashcards
What year was the Peasants’ Revolt? (1)
- 1381
What was the Feudal System? (3)
- A hierarchy of society (1) from the King to the peasantry (1), based around land (1)
What was the structure of the Feudal System and what did each ‘layer’ give each other? (3)
- Kings gave land to barons who gave loyalty and provided soldiers in return.
- Barons gave land to the knights who promised to fight and to be loyal in return.
- Knights gave pieces of land and protection to the peasants who worked the crops and fought when needed in return.
How many people were in each ‘layer’ of the Feudal System? (4)
- 1 King
- 200 Barons
- 5,000 Knights
- 1.5 million Peasants.
What were Freemen? (2)
- Peasants not owing labour service (1) and free to move to other villages. (1)
What were serfs? (5)
- These peasants provided some free labour to their Lord/Baron/knight.
- Could not marry.
- Could not leave the Manor without permission.
- Had to pay to use the Lord’s mill for grinding flour.
- Were subject to the Lord’s Manorial Court.
What was commutation? (3)
From about 1200 (1), peasants were able to offer monetary rent (1) instead of labour service. (1)
What was life generally like for a peasant? (5)
- Peasant life was generally harsh in the Middle Ages.
- They lived in poor conditions, often one room and with animals.
- They were at the mercy of their lords.
- They were at the mercy of the weather.
- Local revolts were quite frequent.
What were compulsory labour services? (2)
- When peasants worked a few days a week on their Lord’s land for no wages.
- This was different to the land they were able to live off.
Why didn’t the peasants revolt before 1381? (3)
- Lack of organisation.
- A feeling that things simply could not be better.
- Blind acceptance of the Church’s teaching that rebellion was the worst of all sins.
How did the Black Death ‘enlighten’ peasants? (5)
- The Black Death created huge labour shortages
- Peasants became more valuable as there was less of them, and they realised this
- Lords tried to force peasants to return to compulsory labour services, but peasants picked the land they worked on.
- Lords were forced to offer high wages to get their land farmed at all.
- Wages trebled in a few years.
What was the Statute of Labourers? (3)
Parliament, which of course did not represent the peasants (1), passed the Statute of Labourers (1) designed to enforce wage cuts by law. (1)
When was the Statute of Labourers brought in? (1)
1351
How did peasants react to the Statute of Labourers? (1)
They were angry.
What was the Poll Tax? (2)
- Edward III originally introduced this tax in order to fund his war with France (100 Years War)
- Everyone, rich or poor, had to pay the same amount.