Peasants' Revolt
Major English uprising in 1381, best documented revolt of the period.
The Peasants' Revolt, also known as Wat Tyler’s Rebellion or the Great Uprising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. Its causes included socio-economic tensions from the Black Death of the 1340s, high taxes from the Hundred Years’ War with France, and instability in London’s local leadership. The revolt deterred later Parliaments from raising further taxes for French campaigns, influencing the war’s course. Academic interpretations have shifted; once seen as a defining moment that prompted King Richard II to promise abolishing serfdom and fueled suspicion of Lollardy, modern scholars are less certain of its lasting social and economic impact. The revolt has been used in socialist literature, notably by William Morris, and remains a symbol for the political left, informing debates around the 1980s Community Charge in the UK. The term “Peasants’ Revolt” does not appear in contemporary chronicles; the word “peasant” entered English only in the 15th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was called the “Insurrection of Wat Tyler.” Historian Paul Strohm found the phrase first used in John Richard Green’s 1874 *Short History of the English People*. Modern historians critique the name, noting many participants were not peasants and the events were more a prolonged protest than a revolt. Alternative terms include “the 1381 Rising” and “the English Rising of 1381.” The revolt was fed by economic upheaval after the Black Death killed an estimated 50 percent of the population, making land plentiful and labour scarce, driving up wages and eroding landowners’ profits. Authorities responded with the 1349 Ordinance and 1351 Statute of Labourers, fixing wages at pre-plague levels and criminalizing contract-breaking, enforced arbitrarily by local gentry. Over decades, peasants gained economic opportunities, with rural labourers’ purchasing power rising about 40 percent between the 1340s and 1380s, despite sumptuary laws aimed at curbing their consumption.
- field
- Uprising
- nationality
- English
- known_for
- Major uprising across large parts of England in 1381
- also_known_as
- Wat Tyler's Rebellion, the Great Uprising
Lore & Background
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was part of a broader wave of popular uprisings across Europe between 1300 and 1500. The main reasons cited for these mass uprisings include an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor, declining incomes of the poor, rising inflation, taxation, and the external crises of famine, plague, war, and religious conflict. The 14th century crises of famine, plague, and war put additional pressures on those at the bottom. The plague in particular drastically reduced the numbers of people who were workers and producing the wealth. Research by Rodney Hilton in the 1970s showed that the Peasants' Revolt was led not by peasants, but by those who would be the most affected by increased taxation: the merchants who were not wealthy, but not poor either. Indeed, these revolts were often accompanied by landless knights, excommunicated clerics and other members of society who might find gain or have reason to rebel.
Reader's Guide
The word peasant, since the 14th century, has had a pejorative meaning. However, it was not always that way; peasants were once viewed as pious and seen with respect and pride. As nobles increasingly lived better quality lives, there arose a new consciousness of those on top and those below, and the sense that being a peasant was not a position of equality. This new consciousness coincided with the popular uprisings of the 14th century. Although these were popular revolts, they were often organized and led by people who would not have considered themselves peasants. Peasants is typically a term used to denote the rural agrarian poor, while many uprisings involved tradesmen and occurred within towns and cities, thus the term does not fully encompass events as a whole for the period. For historical writing purposes, many modern historians will use the word peasant with care and respect, choosing other phrases such as "Popular" or "from below" or "grassroots".
Did You Know?
- The Peasants' Revolt is the best documented among the revolts of the 1300-1500 period.
- Preacher John Ball asked during the revolt, 'When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?'
- Research by Rodney Hilton in the 1970s showed the revolt was led not by peasants but by merchants affected by increased taxation.
- The revolts were often accompanied by landless knights and excommunicated clerics.
- The word 'peasant' has had a pejorative meaning since the 14th century, but was not always that way.
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