From the eleventh century onward, and especially in the fourteenth century, the bubonic plague, which at that time was called the ‘Black Death’, appeared periodically. During the years 1348–50 and thereafter, this terrible, swift and usually fatal sickness decimated the ranks of every class of people in England, particularly the labouring class. As the shortage of labouring hands began to impact upon the landowners, higher wages were demanded and paid. But the government, which was entirely in the hands of the upper classes, soon reacted by passing laws forbidding labourers to ask more than they had received before the plague.
Enforcing these laws, however, was exceedingly difficult, and the result was increased tension and bitterness between the peasants and the government. Moreover, the war with France which dragged on all through the fourteenth century required heavier taxes, and this burden also fell most heavily on the peasants and ‘villeins’ or small farmers. Certain popular preachers went about the country discussing social conditions in their sermons, which intensified the discontent.
In 1381 the war tax, called a ‘poll tax’ because it was collected from every household, did not yield enough revenue and the tax collectors were sent back to the villages to find those who had avoided payment. The people began attacking the tax collectors and rioting broke out all over southeast England. A great body of the peasants, under a leader named Wat Tyler, invaded London and for two or three days had the city in its power. They burned the city palace of the duke of Lancaster along with properties of unpopular nobles and of the Knights Hospitaller. In addition, they executed Archbishop Sudbury, the lord chancellor, and other officials and citizens.
The rioters wanted to lay their petitions before the king, Richard II, a boy of fifteen. Richard met with them and craftily promised everything they demanded. The next interview was at Smithfield, and the king was accompanied by the lord mayor of London and some attendants. When Tyler rode forward to lay new demands before the king a dispute arose, and one of the lord mayor’s men sprang up and stabbed Tyler, who fell from his horse and was then dispatched by the others. Before the peasants could react the young king cried out, ‘Are you seeking a leader? I will be your leader’. As they followed him out of the city gates they were ambushed by the king’s troops and dispersed. Because the evils which had brought about the ill-fated rebellion were in some points the very same evils that Wyclif and his followers were preaching against, Wyclif was very cleverly made the whipping boy for the rebellion. But no attempt was made by the government to acknowledge or redress the wrongs against the peasants.