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English Peasants Revolt 1381

Decent Essays

Often medieval events seem primitive and distant, but the English Peasants’ Revolt during the summer of 1381 shared traits with many of today’s problems. Poor government, passionate leaders, and powerful momentum made the peasants a substantial force. Contemporaries of the revolt recorded it with a shared feeling of horror, while some modern men applaud the revolt for its ideals. Ultimately, for all its significance, the bloody revolt ended with little except a change in political atmosphere. The Peasants’ Revolt resulted from a great culmination of English issues, but despite the revolt’s relevant origins and catastrophic nature, the bloodshed and chaos ultimately brought little of value. The causes of the bloody revolt matter as much as the revolt itself. Today, we see similar issues as the peasants in our own governments, and social factors have changed in appearance but not in role. Although few noticed at the time, the conditions prior to the revolt set a perfect stage for the uprising in 1381. For example, in the medieval setting, the few ruled the many with virtually complete dominion, and in modern times we would despise such régimes. Ironically, immediately prior to the revolt, the standard of life had improved for the average laborer, but the improvement came at a cost. In the end, the …show more content…

Combined in effect, the two factors proved disastrous to the few powerful men in England. The first, the Black Death, is an infamous event. In England, it killed nearly half of the population, spreading one to five miles per day starting in the summer of 1348. Although the rich tried to save themselves from the plague, everyone suffered; however, the plague shifted the balance of power in the favor of the peasants’ improvement as the ratio of servants to masters decreased. With fewer workmen, each man suddenly became more

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