Okla-homey
6/13/2007, 06:42 AM
June 13, 1381: Peasant army marches into London
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/19451/2001573669492372236_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001573669492372236)
Inspired by Wat Tyler?
626 years ago today, during the Peasants' Revolt, a large mob of English peasants led by Wat Tyler marches into London and begins burning and looting the city. Several government buildings were destroyed, prisoners were released, and a judge was beheaded along with several dozen other leading citizens.
The Peasants' Revolt had its origins in a severe epidemic of bubonic plague in the late 1340s, which killed nearly a third of the population of England. The scarcity of labor brought on by the Black Death led to higher wages and a more mobile peasantry.
http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/19555/2001596770825351919_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001596770825351919)
Waves of bubonic plague washed over medieval Europe spread by fleas.
http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/17954/2001514639300312727_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001514639300312727)
Bring out your dead!
Parliament, however, resisted these changes to its traditional feudal system and passed laws to hold down wages while encouraging landlords to reassert their ancient manorial rights. In 1380, peasant discontent reached a breaking point when Parliament restricted voting rights through an increase of the poll tax, and the Peasants' Revolt began.
http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/17039/2001591118529108345_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001591118529108345)
Wat Tyler, a village blacksmith kills his local poll tax collector over the protests of the collector's wife.
In case you're wondering, the "poll tax," was made unconstitutional in the United States by the XXIV Amendment in 1964. The poll tax was essentially a pay-to-vote dealio and was often employed at times in our history to prevent poor folks from voting. Now, back to our tale of peasants being repressed...
In Kent, a county in southeast England, the rebels chose Wat Tyler as their leader, and he led his growing "army" toward London, capturing the towns of Maidstone, Rochester, and Canterbury along the way. After he was denied a meeting with 14 year old King Richard II, he led the rebels into London on June 13, 1381, burning and plundering the city.
http://aycu09.webshots.com/image/17448/2001548780290907213_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001548780290907213)
Richard II (6 January 1367 – 14 February 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent". He was born in Bordeaux and became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. He was crowned king when he was only 11. He was deposed eighteen years after the Wat tyler incident in 1399 and died the next year.
The next day, the boy king met with peasant leaders at Mile End and agreed to their demands to abolish serfdom and restrictions on the marketplace. However, fighting continued elsewhere at the same time, and Tyler led a peasant force against the Tower of London, capturing the fortress and executing the archbishop of Canterbury.:eek:
On June 15, the king met Tyler at Smithfield, and Tyler presented new demands, including one calling for the abolishment of church property. During the meeting, the Sir William Walworth, mayor of London, angered at Tyler's arrogance in the presence of the king, lunged at the rebel leader with a sword, fatally wounding him.
http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/18542/2001553382840470038_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001553382840470038)
William Walworth (bottom left), kills Wat Tyler, at London Bridge.
As Tyler lay dying on the ground, Richard managed to keep the peasant mob calm until the mayor returned with armed troops. Hundreds of rebels were executed and the rest dispersed. During the next few days, the Peasant Revolt was put down with severity all across England, and Richard revoked all the concessions he had made to the peasants at Mile End. For several weeks, Wat Tyler's head was displayed on a pole in a London field as a warning to any similarly minded peasant leader.
http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/18554/2005638524085480874_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005638524085480874)
Another contemporary image of Tyler's demise
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/19451/2001524810990540747_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001524810990540747)
A red dagger symbol seen in the coat of arms of the City of London and the Corporation of London is believed to represent the dagger of the Lord Mayor and thus celebrate the killing of Tyler. However it is likely that the symbol actually represents the martyrdom of St Paul, London's patron saint.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/19090/2005614127153795776_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005614127153795776)
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/19451/2001573669492372236_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001573669492372236)
Inspired by Wat Tyler?
626 years ago today, during the Peasants' Revolt, a large mob of English peasants led by Wat Tyler marches into London and begins burning and looting the city. Several government buildings were destroyed, prisoners were released, and a judge was beheaded along with several dozen other leading citizens.
The Peasants' Revolt had its origins in a severe epidemic of bubonic plague in the late 1340s, which killed nearly a third of the population of England. The scarcity of labor brought on by the Black Death led to higher wages and a more mobile peasantry.
http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/19555/2001596770825351919_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001596770825351919)
Waves of bubonic plague washed over medieval Europe spread by fleas.
http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/17954/2001514639300312727_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001514639300312727)
Bring out your dead!
Parliament, however, resisted these changes to its traditional feudal system and passed laws to hold down wages while encouraging landlords to reassert their ancient manorial rights. In 1380, peasant discontent reached a breaking point when Parliament restricted voting rights through an increase of the poll tax, and the Peasants' Revolt began.
http://aycu40.webshots.com/image/17039/2001591118529108345_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001591118529108345)
Wat Tyler, a village blacksmith kills his local poll tax collector over the protests of the collector's wife.
In case you're wondering, the "poll tax," was made unconstitutional in the United States by the XXIV Amendment in 1964. The poll tax was essentially a pay-to-vote dealio and was often employed at times in our history to prevent poor folks from voting. Now, back to our tale of peasants being repressed...
In Kent, a county in southeast England, the rebels chose Wat Tyler as their leader, and he led his growing "army" toward London, capturing the towns of Maidstone, Rochester, and Canterbury along the way. After he was denied a meeting with 14 year old King Richard II, he led the rebels into London on June 13, 1381, burning and plundering the city.
http://aycu09.webshots.com/image/17448/2001548780290907213_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001548780290907213)
Richard II (6 January 1367 – 14 February 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan "The Fair Maid of Kent". He was born in Bordeaux and became his father's successor when his elder brother died in infancy. He was crowned king when he was only 11. He was deposed eighteen years after the Wat tyler incident in 1399 and died the next year.
The next day, the boy king met with peasant leaders at Mile End and agreed to their demands to abolish serfdom and restrictions on the marketplace. However, fighting continued elsewhere at the same time, and Tyler led a peasant force against the Tower of London, capturing the fortress and executing the archbishop of Canterbury.:eek:
On June 15, the king met Tyler at Smithfield, and Tyler presented new demands, including one calling for the abolishment of church property. During the meeting, the Sir William Walworth, mayor of London, angered at Tyler's arrogance in the presence of the king, lunged at the rebel leader with a sword, fatally wounding him.
http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/18542/2001553382840470038_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001553382840470038)
William Walworth (bottom left), kills Wat Tyler, at London Bridge.
As Tyler lay dying on the ground, Richard managed to keep the peasant mob calm until the mayor returned with armed troops. Hundreds of rebels were executed and the rest dispersed. During the next few days, the Peasant Revolt was put down with severity all across England, and Richard revoked all the concessions he had made to the peasants at Mile End. For several weeks, Wat Tyler's head was displayed on a pole in a London field as a warning to any similarly minded peasant leader.
http://aycu35.webshots.com/image/18554/2005638524085480874_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005638524085480874)
Another contemporary image of Tyler's demise
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/19451/2001524810990540747_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001524810990540747)
A red dagger symbol seen in the coat of arms of the City of London and the Corporation of London is believed to represent the dagger of the Lord Mayor and thus celebrate the killing of Tyler. However it is likely that the symbol actually represents the martyrdom of St Paul, London's patron saint.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/19090/2005614127153795776_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005614127153795776)