Peasants' Revolt

Historical Context Essay

James Davis (Queen's University Belfast)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Domains

Civil Wars, Revolutions and Insurrections

Dates

Date of occurrence 1381

Places

England (Location)

Resources

Recommended Reading

The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 is renowned for the meeting of Richard II and Wat Tyler at Smithfield, where a common man dared to make demands to a king of England. The revolt itself lasted for just a few weeks, yet the event has left an indelible impression upon the common imagination as the most serious revolt that occurred in medieval England. Thomas Walsingham (a monk of St Albans) wrote: “At about this time the kingdom of England suffered – as a chastisement for its sins – a great and unexpected calamity not experienced by previous ages.” Other contemporary chroniclers depicted the event as both violent and irreverent. Henry Knighton stated: “Neither fearing God nor revering the honour of mother church, they pursued and …

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3364 words

Citation: Davis, James. "Peasants' Revolt". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 September 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=838, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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