The Peasants' Revolt
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain different causes of the Peasants' Revolt.
Key learning points
- The Peasants' Revolt began in June 1381 when residents of a town in Essex refused to pay the poll tax.
- Wat Tyler, a low-born labourer from Essex, became the leader of the revolt.
- Rebels committed acts of violence against the king’s tax collectors and the king’s advisors.
- The Peasants' Revolt was a failure for the peasants but strengthened the position of Richard II.
- Historians do not agree on the causes of the Peasants' Revolt.
Keywords
Revolt - violent action against a government or ruler
Poll tax - a payment made to the government by every adult, regardless of how wealthy they are
Serf - a peasant bound to work on a certain piece of land
Common misconception
Revolts and rebellions are driven purely by rage and frustration.
Most revolts and rebellions have a number of causes and are usually led by people with a plan and aims to achieve.
Teacher tip
Pupils could explore the images relating to the Peasants' Revolt from Froissart's Chronicles and see if they can identify familiar characters from the events they have studied in these illustrations.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which group of people had no wealth and no property rights in the feudal system?
Q2.In what year did the Black Death first reach England?
Q3.Which of Edward III's children died of the Black Death in 1348?
Q4.Richard II was only 10 when he became king, and he was largely controlled by his wealthy and unpopular uncle, John of .
Q5.The name of the conflict between 1337 and ended in 1453 was named the Years War.
Q6.What sort of tax did Richard II raise in 1377 to help pay for the war in France?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the job of John Bampton in 1381?
Q2.The leader of the Peasants' Revolt was Tyler.
Q3.Who were beheaded by the rebels, who believed that they had given the king bad advice? This happened on 13th June 1381, in London.
Q4.How old was Richard II at the time of the Peasants' Revolt?
Q5.Who is believed to have said to the rebels, "Peasants you are, and peasants you will remain"?
Q6.Put these events of the Peasants' Revolt in the order in which they occurred.
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: The Peasants' Revolt, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: The Peasants' Revolt, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Peasants' Revolt: why do historians disagree about its causes? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.