Dan Snow's History Hit

Episode: The Peasants' Revolt
Date: February 19, 2026
Guest: Dr. Elena Jarninger (Medieval Historian and Host of Gone Medieval)

Episode Overview

This episode of Dan Snow's History Hit dives deep into the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, questioning its popular image and exploring the political, economic, and social pressures that sparked one of medieval England's most dramatic uprisings. Dan Snow is joined by Dr. Elena Jarninger, who unpacks the "Great Uprising," its origins, characters, consequences, and historical myths, situating it within both English history and the broader pattern of European unrest.

1. Setting the Scene: Crisis in 14th-century England

• Relentless Hardship:

  • England in the 14th century faced catastrophic events: the Black Death, Great Famine, recurring plague outbreaks, climate cooling (“Little Ice Age”), and the Hundred Years’ War (00:50–05:47).
    • Dr. Elena Jarninger: "Mid-14th century, probably not [a worse time to be alive]. That's also why it's my favorite." (02:46)
    • Climate change led to failed harvests and depopulation of entire villages (03:29).
    • Social fear that "this is the apocalypse" dominated the mentality (05:47).

• Social Upheaval:

  • Dr. Jarninger explains that uprisings and unrest were common across Europe in this period, notably the Jacquerie in France and religious unrest in Central Europe (06:34).

2. Economic Pressures: Wages, Labor Laws, and Taxation

• Post-Plague Labor Market:

  • Huge population loss meant workers were scarce but the government imposed legal wage ceilings (Ordinance of Laborers, 1349 and Statute of Laborers, 1351), strictly enforced with brutal punishments (08:18–09:51).
    • “They will brand you if you are caught trying to negotiate for higher wages. It's really disturbing stuff.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (09:08)

• Repressive Measures:

  • Sumptuary laws prevented lower orders from wearing fine clothes or displaying wealth; focus, however, remained on punishing those demanding higher wages (10:35).

• The Unpopular Poll Tax:

  • The government, led by Richard II’s uncle John of Gaunt, levied repeated poll taxes—even as the tax base had halved post-Black Death—to fund war efforts in France (12:11).
    • “They’re trying to tax people at the rate that they were before the Black Death. People are like, we just can't come up with this money.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (12:11)
    • Essex and Kent (“the heartlands”) bore the brunt due to their proximity and resources (13:18–14:34).

• London Tensions:

  • Londoners, wealthy and self-governed, resent increasing royal interference and competition from Flemish immigrants (15:32–16:16).

3. Who Were the Rebels?

• The “Peasants’ Revolt” Misnomer:

  • The term ‘Peasants’ Revolt’ is misleading; the uprising included not just poor farmers but artisans, townsfolk, and even some gentry and nobility (18:11).
    • “We’re a little bit more into saying the Great Uprising or the uprising of 1381.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (18:11)
    • “There are individuals... up in Norfolk we have dukes involved in this.” (19:11)

• Cross-class Frustrations:

  • While grievances about wages and social mobility fed into the unrest, the revolt was also a broader response to corrupt, unresponsive governance.

4. Key Figures and Motivations

• Wat Tyler (Kent military man): Emerged as a leader, possibly elected by fellow rebels; experienced organizer with military flair (20:00).
• John Ball (Radical preacher): Delivered electrifying sermons advocating equality, famously (perhaps apocryphally) preaching:
  • "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then a gentleman?" (21:12)
  • Dr. Jarninger: “He’s giving these really incredible preaches about what we should expect from society.” (20:41)
• Religious and Social Radicalism:
  • Ball's sermons challenged the idea that God ordained social hierarchy—a near-heretical concept at the time (22:02).

5. The Uprising Unfolds

Rebels on the March

• Attacks on Tax Collectors:

  • Sparked in Essex and Kent; rebels organized and marched toward London, gathering momentum (24:12).

• Entry into London:

  • Londoners, possibly sympathizing or favoring safety, let rebels cross London Bridge (24:58).

  • Rebels joined forces, opened the city’s gates, and began targeting symbols of oppressive power:

    • Temple (legal/archive center): Records burned (26:03)
    • Savoy Palace (John of Gaunt’s home): Not looted but burned; valuables smashed or thrown in the Thames to symbolize revolt against ill-gotten wealth (26:19).
      • “They burn everything that they can. They throw a bunch of silver plate in the river because they say they aren’t thieves. That's not what this is about. This is about reimagining the social order.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (26:22)
    • Violence against Flemish Weavers: Londoners attacked foreign workers, settling trade grievances with lethal force (27:40).
      • “I think it’s incredibly funny to burn taxation records... I think it's a lot less cool to be killing foreign workers.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (27:12)

6. The Rebels Force Concessions

• Face-to-Face with the King:

  • Richard II, sheltering in the Tower, was forced into negotiations (28:13–30:36).
    • At the first meeting (Bow, east London), he agreed to:
      • Abolish serfdom
      • Allow negotiation of wages (rolling back labor laws)
      • Pardon for the rebels
    • “I am going to agree to certain things. So one of the things he agrees to is abolishing serfdom.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (29:46)
  • Many Essex rebels departed, believing victory was won (30:36).

• But the Pressure Remains

  • Wat Tyler and Kentish rebels, unconvinced, continued to press the King (30:59).

• Storming the Tower

  • In a shocking move, rebels captured the Tower and executed key royal officials and the Archbishop of Canterbury (31:29).
    • “If you can believe that. Cause they are like Canterbury. I do not think so.” (31:48)
    • These targets were both religious and royal administrators—symbols of authority and oppressors (32:18).

7. The Fall of Wat Tyler and Collapse of the Revolt

• Second Meeting at Smithfield (34:57)

  • Wat Tyler meets Richard II:
    • Tyler addresses Richard as "brother," claims equality, unnerving the royal party, then is stabbed and killed in suspicious circumstances (35:57).
      • “He refers to Richard II as his brother... and that ruffles people the wrong way... someone stabs Wat Tyler, and then someone else stabs Wat Tyler a whole bunch more times.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (35:57)

• Royal Crackdown:

  • Leaderless, the rebels are dispersed and hunted down—many are executed, including John Ball ("RIP to a real one," 41:05).
  • Women involved, noteworthy for their leadership roles, are fined but generally spared execution (41:03).

• Richard’s Famous Rejection:

  • Richard delivers a scathing speech to the survivors:
    • “Rustics you are, and rustics you shall remain.” (36:46)

8. Aftermath and Legacy

• Brutal Repression, No Reform:

  • Richard reneges on all promises and strengthens the royal fortress (Tower of London), steps up repression and taxation, and rules even more harshly, especially over London (42:19–43:48).
    • “He will adopt for the rest of his reign a really terrible attitude to the people that he rules.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (43:32)
    • “You can kill Wat Tyler, you can go after the leaders... ideas are a lot harder to crack down on.” (40:12)

• Myth and Memory:

  • The revolt became a romantic symbol for later historians, but in reality, it achieved no concrete gains for common people.
    • “Do I wish that this was a story where ordinary people pressed for greater rights and then got them? Yes, I do wish that to be true, but it just simply isn’t the case.” – Dr. Elena Jarninger (44:24)
    • “Those rebels, they died for nothing.” – Dan Snow (45:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the climate of the period:
  "You have also this massive and rapid climate change, which was exacerbated by the Black Death because there are fewer people around, so there are fewer fires being built." – Dr. Elena Jarninger (04:55)

• On royal denial:
  "So the government are trying to pretend that everything's going on as normal, despite the fact that more than 50% of the population have died." – Dan Snow (11:07)

• On the nature of the revolt:
  "It is a real situation where we see people kind of understanding what their worth is, kind of having problems with this old social order that says understand your betters." – Dr. Elena Jarninger (19:44)

• On Wat Tyler’s death:
  "He refers to Richard II as his brother... The peasant thinks that he should have a drink. It's absolutely ridiculous stuff. But at the time... that an ordinary person could ask the King for things." – Dr. Elena Jarninger (35:57)

• On the legacy:
  "You can't get the ideas out of the heads of people that maybe things should be a little bit fairer. But similarly, you can't make Richard II not scared from this point on." – Dr. Elena Jarninger (42:19)

Key Timestamps

• 00:50 – Setting the harsh backdrop: plague, famine, climate
• 08:18 – Government crackdowns on labor and wages
• 12:08–14:20 – Taxation and regional impact (Essex, Kent, London)
• 18:11–19:11 – Who were the rebels? (Breadth of social backgrounds)
• 20:00–22:14 – Key rebel leaders and religious radicalism
• 24:16–27:12 – March on London, burning records, and Savoy Palace
• 28:13–30:36 – Negotiating with Richard II
• 31:29–32:42 – Storming the Tower of London, executions
• 34:57–36:46 – Smithfield confrontation, Wat Tyler's death
• 40:12–41:03 – Crackdown on rebels, roles of women
• 42:19–44:24 – Aftermath, repression, failed legacy

Conclusion

The episode debunks myths about the Peasants’ Revolt as a simple story of successful class struggle, instead painting it as a broad, desperate uprising against crushing social and political pressures, ultimately leading to heightened repression and no immediate improvement for ordinary people. Yet, the revolt planted ideas of possible resistance and change that would simmer for generations. Dr. Jarninger's blend of insight and humor gives life to the era's complex realities, highlighting both the courage of the rebels and the intransigence of power.

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