The Statute of Labourers and the response to the Black Death
I can describe the government's response to peasant demands for higher wages.
The Statute of Labourers and the response to the Black Death
I can describe the government's response to peasant demands for higher wages.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Black Death killed around half of the English population.
- The Black Death caused labour shortages.
- Labourers began to demand better pay for their work.
- The Statute of Labourers ordered labourers to stop asking for more money.
- Historians disagree about the aims of the Statute of Labourers.
Keywords
Peasant - a person in the medieval period who worked the land and had few legal protections
Negotiate - to obtain something by discussion
Statute - a written law
Labourer - a person doing unskilled work for wages
Ordinance - an order given by a ruler, often a king
Common misconception
That the Statute of Labourers immediately forced all peasants to return to their home manors and to cease negotiating higher wages.
Through the interpretations section of the lesson, draw out the point that the Statute of Labourers was unenforceable in many cases.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a person who worked the land and had few legal protections
to obtain something by discussion
a written law
a person doing unskilled work for wages
an order given by a ruler, often a king