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From Poll Tax To March On London
- The 1381 rising began partly as resistance to a poll tax and brutal tax collectors enforcing it across England.
- Rebels from Essex and Kent coordinated, marched on London, and triggered mass destruction after being rebuffed at the river.
Black Death Changed Labour Dynamics
- The Black Death reshaped labour markets and drove statutes like the Statute of Labourers to cap wages.
- Surviving workers sought higher pay and mobility, provoking elite efforts to reinstate old hierarchies.
Targets Were Officials, Not The King
- Rebels targeted royal officials and councillors rather than aiming to dethrone Richard II himself.
- Their demands included abolishing serfdom, fair taxes, and replacing labour services with fixed rents.