Why peasants rebel

Whipped up by the preaching of radical priest John Ball, they were demanding that all men should be free and equal; for less harsh laws; and a fairer distribution of wealth. Soon both Essex and Kent were in revolt. The rebels coordinated their tactics by letter.

They marched in London, where they destroyed the houses of government ministers. They also had a clear set of political demands. Before the rebel army could retaliate, Richard stepped forward and promised to abolish serfdom. Finally, it describes conditions under which the poor try to overcome their destitution through direct political action. Keywords: direct political action , rural poor , collective action , peaceful protest , armed rebellion , civil war , peasants , rural mobilization , land redistribution , democratization.

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Oxford Handbooks Online. Publications Pages Publications Pages. Within hours the crowd had crossed the bridge into the city.

But the loyalties of the Londoners could not be reliably known, streets were no place for a pitched battle, and the risk of failure was too great. Sign up to receive our newsletter! Our best wishes for a productive day.

Already have an account with us? Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. As a growing crowd surrounded the Tower, the king made his decision. He had a bland charter drawn up, and ordered a man to stand on a chair and read it out. The leaders renewed their demand that the king himself come to speak with them.

The king, Mayor Walworth and the rest rode out to meet them, leaving Sudbury and Hales alone in the Tower. The rebels placed their demands before the king, and they were momentous. Property rental was to be set at an affordable four pence per acre. The rebels also demanded that all the traitors who had presided over current oppression and corruption be executed and that all who had taken part in this uprising should receive a full amnesty. Richard agreed to all these conditions — and, in doing so, apparently signalled the end of a social structure that had maintained the exploitative hierarchy of lords and serfs for centuries.

With this he asked the rebels to disband and go home in peace. While negotiations continued at Mile End, a separate group of rebels, again led by Johanna Ferrour, entered the Tower of London — let in by an uneasy and intimidated garrison — and proceeded to ransack it. They seized Sudbury and Hales, dragged them out to Tower Hill, and beheaded them as traitors. The king would certainly have been unable to convince the commons of his goodwill had he been flanked by the two man held responsible for the hated taxes that had sparked the revolt.

Either way, they did not disband. As for the rebels, they now sought out further targets across London, taking effective control of the city. That afternoon the king came to Westminster Abbey in procession with his party, praying at the altar and making confession, before sending out messengers and criers to announce his desire for a second meeting with the commons, this time at Smithfield.

It was here, on Saturday 15 June, that Richard finally met Wat Tyler, the most famous of the rebel leaders. Apparently, he asked for a cup of water.

He then rinsed his mouth out and spat, before asking for a jug of ale, which he drank while Richard waited.

Insults were hurled, and a scuffle broke out.