Start here
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
A plain account of the English rising of 1381: how it began in Essex and Kent, the march on London, the deaths at the Tower, Smithfield and the harsh aftermath.
Power and Work
Rural risings and what they demanded, with the real dates and places.
Start here
A plain account of the English rising of 1381: how it began in Essex and Kent, the march on London, the deaths at the Tower, Smithfield and the harsh aftermath.
There was no English peasants' revolt in 1328; the famous one was 1381. The real 1328 event was the end of the Flemish peasant revolt at the Battle of Cassel.
No English peasants' revolt occurred in 1328. This overview surveys real rural unrest in medieval Europe, from Flanders and the Jacquerie to Catalonia, with dates.
How the English poll taxes of 1377, 1379 and 1380 led to the 1381 rising, and how much the revolt really changed wages, serfdom and labor in the years after.
What did the English rebels of 1381 ask for? A look at the reported demands, from ending serfdom to tax relief, and how far the chronicle sources can be trusted.
Who led the English rising of 1381? Wat Tyler, John Ball and Jack Straw, what is known about them, and what happened at Smithfield with the young Richard II.
Related topics