Evidence cards

A. The Black Death killed a large part of England's population in the late 1340s. With fewer workers available, some labourers could demand better wages or choose where to work. Many landowners tried to stop wages rising and control workers through laws such as the Statute of Labourers (1351). B. Many peasants were unfree villeins. They owed services or payments to their lord and could face restrictions on leaving the manor or choosing how to use their time. Conditions and obligations varied from place to place. C. King Richard II's government demanded a poll tax in 1380. Unlike a tax based on wealth, the tax was charged per person, with some discounts for poorer households. The government had already demanded poll taxes in 1377 and 1379. Collectors' efforts to find people who had not paid caused anger. D. In June 1381, revolt broke out in south-east England and spread to London. Rebels attacked records and property linked to officials and lords. Their demands included an end to serfdom and lower rents. The revolt was defeated, but it grew from longstanding tensions as well as immediate anger about taxation.