In my opinion, Black death is most significant cause,
without fall in population there would be no social tensions
which was key reason why people were revolting
Also there would be no economic tensions from less
people being around so there would've been no trigger
Social Tensions
Info
Tax collector at Fobbing -
people didn't like methods
Laws made by Lords - attempts
to limit peasant wealth
Sumptuary Laws 1363
Statute of Labourers 1349
Ordinance of Labourers 1351
wanted peasants back in their place
Made revolt more likely by...
Making peasants fed up with social hierarchy
People fed up with nobles trying to
change things back to old ways
Proved by demands at smithfield - end of social hierarchy
Fall in Population Size
Info
5 million down to 3.5 million
Makes it impossible to pose serfdown
Fewer people to get taxes from
Direct cause of increase in wages and rents falling
Made revolt more more likely by...
Leads to increase in wages
Helps to make the gap in social classes smaller
Leads to social tensions
Economic pressues
Made revolt more likely by...
Peasants didn't like paying poll tax
Leads to fobbing tax collector incident
Provides trigger for start of revolt
Info
Poll tax
Rapid increase, 4d - 12d
within a year (1380-1381)
Hundred years war, leads
to need for poll tax
Individuals
John of Gaunt
Created poll tax to fund 100 years war tactic
provides spark for revolt
Hales - treasurer
Chief job to collect tax
increases social tensions,
pushed people too far
Sudbury- Archbishop
Gave bad advice to Richard
was a money grabbing landlord
increases social tensions,
people fed up
Richard- King
People saw him as solution
In fact betrays peasants at Clarkenwell
people had hoped that because he
was so young he would listen
Wat Tyler
Key leader of revolt
As soon as he dies - revolt dies
Jon Ball
Active leader of revolt
Caused mass revolt instead of local
Great organisation skills, no revolt without Ball and Tyler
Dissatisfaction with the church
Info
People losing faith in church
Said plague was punishment from
God but many priests died
Church property targeted
during revolt - evidence
Sudbury murdered- clear
evidence of dissatsfaction
People were fed up with
mass corruption of church
Made revolt more likely by...
Feeds into general dissatisfaction
with the order of society itself
Get told by priests how to live lives but
they're obviously corrupt themselves
100 years war
Losing the war - costing lots of money - leads to poll tax
Poll tax provides trigger that led to the
chain of events that resulted in revolt