The Peasants Are Revolting! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Richard II

Henry III was king from 1216 until his death in 1272, while Henry IV was king from 1399 until 1413. Edward II was king from 1307 to 1327 and Richard II was king from 1377 to 1399. When the revolt began, King Richard II was only 14 years old and had quickly sought to appease the peasants in their demands.

Answer: Black Death (bubonic plague)

During the Black Death, the population was devastated by disease and there were far fewer workers. Moreover, serfdom prevented workers from freely migrating to find work. In other words, there were legal obstacles that prevented people from moving to places where they were most needed and could work under better conditions and/or get more pay.

Answer: 1 shilling (12 pence)

One shilling (twelve pence) was a considerable amount of money at that time, and this was the act that pushed the peasants over the edge. Furthermore, landlords continued to increase their rent for use of their property, which the peasants were now bound to and unable to leave due to the Statute of Laborers. It is not all that surprising that the peasants decided that they were no longer willing to be subjugated by their masters any longer.

Since the peasants began seeking a better life after the Black Death, the government sought to regain control and instituted the Statute of Laborers in 1351, so that the lords and masters didn't have to provide any more than they had before the plague. The statute stated that peasants weren't allowed to leave their village, that they couldn't be paid or be offered a wage (by lords or masters) that was better than the pay they had received in 1346.

Answer: Kent and Essex

The angry mob of rebels attacked Robert Belknap, the Chief Justice, as he was traveling through Brentwood, Essex. Originally it was uprisings in Brentwood and Frobbing in Essex. Later in the same month as the attack on Belknap was an uprising in Kent that resulted in Kentish 'rebels' traveling to London to meet the "Men of Essex."

Answer: Robert Hales

John Ball was an English Lollard priest that lived in Kent at the time of the revolt and Wat Tyler was from Essex, where the revolt was ignited. Interestingly enough, the identity of Jack Straw has been questioned in history and many believe it is either a fictional individual or a pseudonym for Wat Tyler.

Sir Robert Hales was actually the Lord Treasurer responsible for the poll tax.

Answer: The Savoy Palace

On the first occasion when the king decided to meet with the peasant rebels and discuss their demands, the crowds didn't allow for the king to safely arrive, so instead he retreated to the Tower of London to be with his mother. The crowd grew impatient and decided to enter the Tower by force. Lord Chancellor Simon of Sudbury, Lord Treasurer Robert Hales, and several other members of the king's men was beheaded on the Tower's execution site. Their heads were severed, placed on pikes, and carried around London in celebration.

John of Gaunt was King Richard II's uncle and he resided in the Savoy Palace, which was considered one of the grandest palaces in medieval London. John of Gaunt was blamed for the institution of the Poll Tax and the peasants wanted to take revenge upon him.

Answer: got off his horse and rudely asked for a drink

Evidently, Wat Tyler asked for a drink, drew his dagger, and was stabbed in the neck by William Walworth, the Lord Mayor of London. After that he was stabbed in the stomach by Sir John Cavendish, one of the King's knights travelling with the Lord Mayor.

Answer: "You shall have no other captain but me"

Richard II told them that their demands would be met, that Wat Tyler wasn't dead (even though he clearly was), and that everyone should follow him to St. John's Fields. However, awaiting their arrival at the Fields was the King's organized militia of over 7,000 men. With that, the Peasants' Revolt was halted in its tracks.

As for the other quotes, it was Josef Stalin who spoke of the lack of invincible armies and it was Adolf Eichmann that spoke of having no regrets. Finally, Sun-Tzu spoke of deception and warfare in his legendary book "The Art of War."

Answer: No

After the King's militia regained control of the rebels at St. John's Field, Wat Tyler's head was severed from his body and displayed on London Bridge. John Ball was drawn and quartered by horses, as well as hanged, and then his body was displayed to four different towns. Jack Straw has been said to have met a fate similar to Wat Tyler's.

Answer: No

The king withdrew all of the promises he had made to the rebel peasant forces after the death of the three leaders of the revolt. The King felt as though he could easily regain control over the peasants and things would move on as they had been in the past. The King, the country, and all of Europe began to take notice of the ways in which the labor force was treated and they realized that revolting peasants can exercise their power to be seen, heard, understood, and taken seriously.

Nevertheless, in the longer term the manorial system decayed and living standards rose to levels far above those prevailing before the Black Death.