Peasants Revolt Of 1381 Research Paper

The Peasants Revolt of 1381 is historically acknowledged as one of the earliest and most expansive instances of peasant uprising in European history. The peasants of fourteenth-century England, angered by the dire living conditions brought on by war, disease, and economic hardship, held a great dissatisfaction with the ruling elite and their practices. This conflict reached a turning point in the spring of 1381, when the people of several towns rose up against the English government. The Peasants Revolt of 1381 was caused by several issues in fourteenth-century England, and the violent uprisings had great significance for England’s social hierarchy, politics and economics in the years following the revolt. Fourteenth-century English citizens
Often overworked and underpaid, serfs face growing tensions with landlords. The 1370s were a tumultuous time between those who owned the land and those who worked it. As peasants sought better conditions during this time, tensions rose all over the country. Unrest in England was not only a domestic issue as tensions rose but also a problem faced internationally during the late fourteenth-century. England was engaged in an ongoing war with France. England also faced tensions with “Spain, Ireland, Guienne, and Brittany” during this time. The looming threat of French invasion worried English citizens and worsened living conditions. The increase in military efforts during the late fourteenth-century contributed to a deficit in military funds, and thus, an increase in taxes for English citizens. In just three years, the monarchy implemented three additional poll taxes on the English. The first, in February 1377, was demanded by King Edward III. Parliament required “four pence from each lay person of either sex older than 14.” Two years later, King Edward III sought to raise money for the ongoing war with