peasants revolt Flashcards
why was life for the peasants hard?
they were at the bottom of the feudal system and working for a lord and serving the king
-they were paying high taxes to fund the kings lifestyle
-being killed off by a terrible plague that affected them more than the barons
in what year did the ship arrive in dorset bringing goods from europe?
1348
how much of the population did the plague kill?
1/3
what year was the statute of labourers?
1351
the black death impacting peasants meant what?
field of crops were left to rot since there were not enough people to bring in the harvests and some villages were abandoned
who passed the statute of labourers?
1351
what was the statute of labourers?
every man and woman should work for those who want them and will only receive the same wages as before the plague
what years did the justice of the peace come about?
between 1377 and 1379
what is a justice of the peace?
a local official appointed by the king, responsible for law or order
what happened between 1377 and 1379?
70% of the people brought before the justice of the peace were accused of breaking the statute of labourers
who was john of gaunt?
Richard II’s main advisor and one of englands most hated landowners
where and how did the black death start?
asia area from dead bodies being thrown about
how many km a day and for how many years did the disease spread?
5km a day for 5 years
when did the black death arrive in europe?
1347-italy
how did the disease spread?
fleas on rats and also trade between places
what happened to people that caught the disease?
black tongue and then death
who did people blame for the black death?
jesus and lepers
what were the consequences of the black death?
1/3 of the population of England died
labour became more valuable- therefore they required more money
what was the hundred years’ war?
series of wars between england and france lasting from 1337 until 1453
what is poll tax?
tax of a certain amount that all individuals over a certain age had to pay- regardless of income
what happened by 1380?
every person over the age of 15 had to pay 4 groats per year to the king
how many groats did people have to previously pay?
1 groat
what were john wyclif and john ball doing?
they were priests who started to preach about how the church was exploiting peasants
what did John Ball and John Wyclif protest about?
they argued that the church should not be charging pardons for sins and the church should not have so much land when others were starving
what year did the peasants revolt begin?
1381
where did uprisings begin?
essex and kent
what happened on the 30th may in Fobbing?
peasants refuse to pay Poll tax to John Brampton
what happened on the 2nd June in Brentwood?
behead Bampton’s clerks and set fire to the houses of Bampton’s supporters
what happened on the 7th June in Maidstone?
Wat Tyler gets made the peasants’ leader and the free John ball from Maidstone prison and storm Rochester Castle
what happened on the 12th June in Bishop’s Gate?
the peasants set up camp in London and Richard II agrees to meet the rebels on the 17th June
what happened on the 13th June in the City of London?
rebels enter through the city gates and storm the
savoy palace of John of Gaunt and burn it
they kill foreign merchants and supporters of rthe King
what happened on the 14th June in Mile End?
Wat Tyler meets the king
the King gives a royal pardon to all involved and all villeins are made freemen
some of the peasants kill the Archbishop of Canterbury
what happened on the 15th June in Smithfield?
Richard II meets the rebels again
Tyler wants a full change to the system of law- the king agrees
one of the King’s men kills Wat Tyler and the peasants follow the King out of London and the revolt is now over
what was the king’s excuse for not sticking to his promises?
he claimed he was forced to make these promises
what happened to John Ball?
he was hanged and his body was cut into pieces
his head was also stuck on a spike on London Bridge
how could the peasants begin to buy land?
there was so much unused after the Black Death
this freed them from having to work the lords’ land
why did workers wages increase after the revolt?
there was still a lack of workers so the peasants could demand higher wages
what happened to poll tax?
it was never again repeated in the Medieval period
within how many years were peasants freemen?
100 years
the peasants revolt was the first time what had happened?
ordinary people had revolted- normally it was just barons or nobles
