Compare the causes and effects of the peasant revolts of the fourteenth century

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There were four major sets of peasant revolts in the fourteenth century, across France, the Italian states, Flanders, and England. All had their roots in dissatisfaction with the governments' actions with respect to the crises of the fourteenth century, especially the plague and the increased taxation for perpetuation of war. The Flemish revolts started with wealthy merchants who were unhappy over taxation and caught between two political factions, but it evolved to include the wider society in a social revolt demanding more equality and representation. This was crushed with the intervention of the French army in 1328 . In France, the Jacquerie revolt started in response to plundering soldiers during the Hundred Years' War, but turned quickly into protests against high taxation for the war and demands by the merchants, some of which were granted before the entire revolt was put down. In Florence and the Italian states, however, the rebellions started as a result of political exclusion in the city government against the Signoria, who refused to allow wool carders to form a guild. Other workers joined in their displays in the piazza of the Palace of the Signoria, and eventually, they did gain some concessions, including the minor guild formations that included them in the political representation of the council. This victory was short-lived, however, because the major guilds pushed them out of power four years later and exiled many of the participants from the city. In England, Wat Tyler's rebellion focused on protesting the increased taxation to pay for the ongoing war with France, as well as lack of political representation over taxation. After violent assaults that included decapitating the archbishop of Canterbury and killing the king's chancellor, the leaders of the revolt were lured into a meeting with King Richard II and murdered. None of these revolts had long-lasting effects that changed the political structure of their individual regions, but the expression of dissatisfaction was a significant challenge to the established order.