The Peasants' Revolt Flashcards
How was the Peasants’ Revolt significant in the short term?
- First major uprising against a monarch, this scared Richard II
- Richard learnt to raise taxes less and arrest all opponents
What were the key ideas of the Peasants’ Revolt?
Equality between all people (John Ball)
Who was King at the time of the Peasants’ Revolt?
Richard II
How was the Peasants’ Revolt insignificant?
- Richard II ignored the demands of the peasants and executed leaders
- Wage levels were lower than before the Statute of Labourers
- Peasants gained very little and still had little say in running the country
Why should it be called the Great Revolt instead?
- Wat Tyler was a middle-class merchant
- Craftsmen, carpenters, and priests also involved
- Many rebels were called peasants as an insult
What were the five main causes of the Peasants’ Revolt?
- Sumptuary Laws
- Black Death
- Statute of Labourers
- Equality
- Poll tax
How did the Poll Tax cause the Revolt?
- Was a tax where everyone, rich or poor, paid equal amounts
- Paid for 100-years war
- England was losing, so money was wasted
- 450,000 refused to pay
What were Sumptuary Laws?
They dictated what clothes people could wear - peasants couldn’t wear the same clothes as a nobleman
How did the Black Death cause the Revolt?
- Killed a third of population
- Peasants were in low supply, meaning they could demand higher wages
- Price of land dropped so poor people could move up classes (social mobility)
- This made rich people unhappy because they wanted poor people to stay in their place
How did equality cause the Peasants’ Revolt?
John Ball believed that everyone was related to Adam and Eve, so everyone was equal
Why did Richard II pass the Statute of Labourers?
He became worried the peasants were gaining too much power
When was the Statute of Labourers passed?
1351
When was the Peasants’ Revolt?
1381
How was the Peasants’ Revolt significant in the long term?
- Started the gradual shift from the Feudal System
- Spread the idea of equality (Adam and Eve)
