1 Ruling

1.7 Did the people have any power?

1.7a The Peasants Revolt 1381: why?

Learning objectives
To learn about the causes of the Peasants Revolt in 1381.
To work together to explain the reasons why different people revolted.

Historical background
The majority of the population in the Middle Ages had little or no way of expressing their individual or
collective views. However, from time to time, they took to rebellion to express discontent. The Peasants
Revolt of 1381 was not a challenge to the rule of the 14-year-old Richard II. Indeed, one of the aims of
the protestors was to rid the king of supposed evil councillors. The roots of the rebellion lie in the
aftermath of the Black Death and the restraints of the 1351 Statute of Labourers, which restricted
peasant income and rights. The wars in France and the subsequent Poll Taxes imposed to pay for it
increased peasant discontent even further. Agitators such as John Ball further fuelled peasant disquiet.

Teaching Activities and Learning Outcomes

Assessment opportunity
Making links between causes of the Peasants Revolt.
Pupils will be able to:
produce at least one slogan in support of the peasants campaign against the Poll Tax
create a prioritised list of why the peasants revolted and justify the order they have chosen
write at least one sentence that makes links between causes of the Peasants Revolt.
Starter
Pupils look at sources a and b on page 42. In pairs or groups, ask them to describe in detail what they
can see. What do they think is happening in the first picture? Who is attacking who? Who can they see in
the second picture? What is he trying to do? What acts of violence can they see? Encourage pupils to
make points about the high levels of violence and the involvement of the king.

Development
Green task (task 1): Pupils form themselves into campaign groups, in which they identify reasons for
revolt and draw up slogans in support of their campaign. They might also be encouraged to think about
other features of a campaign group from making badges to posters and drawing up petitions.
Blue task (task 2): In groups, each member picks a reason for the outbreak of the revolt and explains its
significance. Through this dialogue, the campaign group is able to prioritise reasons for the revolt.
Orange task (task 3): Pupils should write down the links between the factors (see Worksheet 1.7a).
This can be brought together into a whole-school exercise if many in the class have completed the work.

Plenary
Why did the peasants revolt in 1381? Ask groups to share their key campaign slogans. How are the
slogans similar or different? Which do pupils think would most inspire medieval villagers to revolt?

Cross-curricular links
Citizenship: Actions that individuals, groups and organisations can take to influence decisions.
ICT opportunities
History in Progress LiveText CD 1: The Peasants Revolt did the people have any power? activity

54 Pearson Education 2008: History in Progress Planning and Resource Pack 1

1 Ruling

1.7 Did the people have any power?

1.7a Why did the Peasants Revolt in 1381?

Read through each of the causes of the Peasants Revolt below. Highlight which you think would
make the villagers most angry.
When you have done that, make connections between the causes. Do this by drawing lines to link the
causes together. Along each line, explain the connection you have made.

The level of our wages is set by This war with France is

Parliament; that cant be right too expensive and
and the wages are too low. should be stopped.

We are fed up of being

We hate the Poll Tax which makes owned by our feudal lords.
everyone, rich and poor, pay the
same, 12p. The rich can afford to
pay the tax but we cannot.

We dont like having to give

the Church two days work
The French are winning the war for nothing every week.
and have started raiding
villages on the coast.

Some priests such as John

Ball are telling us that God
made all people equal.

Our young king, Richard II, is only 14 years

old. He is getting bad advice from evil men
such as John of Gaunt (who is the regent),
Simon Sudbury (who is Chancellor and
Archbishop of Canterbury) and Sir Robert
Hales (who thought up the Poll Tax in the first
place). We need to rescue our king from the
bad people around him.

55 Pearson Education 2008: History in Progress Planning and Resource Pack 1

 1 Ruling

1.7 Did the people have any power?

1.7b The Peasants Revolt 1381: what happens next?

Learning objectives
To learn about what happened during the Peasants Revolt of 1381.
To discover and describe what happened as a result of decisions made by the peasants.

Historical background
In 1381, rebellion broke out in Essex. Ultimately the peasants were crushed, but not before they had
seriously challenged the state. In June 1381 the peasants marched on London. Led by Wat Tyler and
inspired by John Ball they destroyed government buildings and records on their way to the capital. Once
in London the rebels demanded a meeting with Richard who duly obliged. The initial meeting at Mile End
resulted in the king making conciliatory promises. But the rebels were in a bloody-thirsty mood, and the
Archbishop of Canterbury and Treasurer were both murdered. The next meeting at Smithfield resulted in
the assassination of Tyler and the dispersal of the rebels. Although in the short term the rebels were
defeated, many of their grievances were addressed over the next few years.

Teaching Activities and Learning Outcomes

Assessment opportunity
Understanding of the links between cause and consequence.

Pupils will be able to:

produce a cartoon strip outlining the events of the Peasants Revolt
give a speech to tell the story of the rebellion
produce a written account from the point of view of one of the peasants.
Starter
Ask pupils to look at the map of the events of 1381 (pages 4445) and answer the following questions:
Where did the rebellion take place? What seems to be the sequence of events?

Development
Depending on the time available, pupils should complete at least one of the three tasks in this lesson,
depending on their ability and preferred learning style.
Green task (task 1): Pupils work through the events making decisions. They then have the option in this
task of telling their story as a cartoon strip, showing the consequences of the decisions made.
Blue task (task 2): Pupils might choose to work through the stages in campaign groups. They can then
prepare, either individually or collectively, the tales of their revolt.
Orange task (task 3): Pupils use this information to write the story of their progress. The story can be
written in a number of forms from a report to a personal letter. Pupils should be encouraged to link
causes and consequences together.

Plenary
Back to the start: This encourages pupils to reflect on the power of the peasants as well as the enquiry
as a whole, thinking about how they have learned and in particular the benefits of collaborative learning.

Cross-curricular links
Citizenship: Actions that individuals, groups and organisations can take to influence decisions.
ICT opportunities
History in Progress LiveText CD 1: The Peasants Revolt did the people have any power? activity

Pearson Education 2008: History in Progress Planning and Resource Pack 1 56

1 Ruling

1.7 Did the people have any power?

1.7c Taking it further!: Children making an impact in the Middle Ages

Learning objectives
To find out about significant individuals in the Middle Ages.
To make a decision about the relative significance of individuals.

Historical background
Life expectancy was very low in the Middle Ages. Disease meant that adults and children often died at a
much younger age than today. Children could be betrothed to marry when young and married when they
reached puberty. A number of children became rulers before they had reached full adulthood. The stories
in the chapter give pupils a limited range of examples. While pupils cannot identify or empathise with the
power of the historical characters described, they can empathise with them as children.
Edward V was one of the Princes in the Tower supposedly murdered on the command of Richard III.
Joan of Arc is looked at in more detail on pages 4041. Her story is quite an extraordinary one, as
much for the issue of her gender as her age.
Stephen of Cloyes led the ill-fated Childrens Crusade in 1212.

Teaching Activities and Learning Outcomes

Assessment opportunity
Recognising why some people might be judged as more historically significant than others.

Pupils will be able to:

select the Most important child of the Middle Ages and give reasons for their decision.
Starter
Ask pupils what kinds of things they like to do as an 11- or 12-year-old? What dont they like doing? What
are they responsible for at home or at school? How do they feel about these responsibilities? This can be
done in groups or as a whole class focusing on how much responsibility pupils think they have or would
like to have. Link this into the main section of the lesson focusing on the responsibilities of child rulers.

Development
Work it out!: Pupils read through the profiles of the children in the book (factfiles 13). They should
then be encouraged to suggest criteria as to what would make a child more or less important in the
Middle Ages. They could also research other candidates for the title of Most important child of the Middle
Ages. At the end of the process, pupils should make a decision as to who they think is the most
important child of the Middle Ages. This should be justified by reference to the criteria on which the
decision was based.

Plenary
Ask pupils to write down five key words or terms from this lesson, then share them with a partner. How
are their lists similar or different? Why do they think these words or terms are important?

ICT opportunities
History in Progress LiveText CD 1: Children making an impact in the Middle Ages activity

57 Pearson Education 2008: History in Progress Planning and Resource Pack 1