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1367-1400. English king. | |||
“The reign of Richard II illustrates the changing nature of the crown and society after the Black Death wiped out almost half the population from 1348. Richard's downfall has also been called the first round in what the Victorians named the 'Wars of the Roses', the bloody, noble civil wars that devastated England from around 1450 to 1487. But the legacy of his rule laid the foundation for that conflict and together with the impact of the plague achieved a social transformation that changed Britain forever” (BBC History). | |||
== Peasants' Revolt == | |||
When Richard came to the throne, the government was in the hands of a series of councils because of his youth (10 years old). His uncle, John of Gaunt, was highly influential. People saw Richard’s councellors as corrupt officials trying to exploit the weakness of the king. Four years later a poll tax was declared to finance the continuing war with France ([[Hundred Years War]]). There was tremendous uproar amongst the peasantry, who had already seriously resented the government´s attempts to deprive them of their benefits from the post-pandemic labour shortage after the Black Death (1348). | |||
Richard | This, combined with continuing efforts by land owners to reintroduce servility of the peasants, led to the Peasants' Revolt, also known as Wat Tyler´s Rebellion. After its leader was killed, Richard, then only 14, showed great courage, shouting to the peasants to follow him. He led them off, calmed them down with promises of reforms, and convinced them to disperse to their homes. Although Richard did not keep any of his promises claiming that they were made under threat and were therefore not valid in law, and the peasants were forced back into their old way of life, now they came and went in relation to the wages they were offered by the lords. The feudal system cracked and serfdom came to an end. | ||
Richard | == Dethroning and Death == | ||
The seeds of the [[War of the Roses]], a fundamental event in late medieval times, dates back to Richard II’s reign. Edward III, his grandfather, died in 1377. The eldest son, Edward, the Black Prince (Richard´s father) had died in 1376, so Richard became king. As I have already mentioned his uncle, John of Gaunt, ruled the country, but as Richard grew older he rebelled against his uncle and made decisions that were not popular with the most powerful men. In 1399 John of Gaunt died and Richard confiscated the land he had owned. John of Gaunt’s son, Henry Bolingbroke, raised an army and when Richard surrendered took the throne as [[Henry IV]]. Richard was imprisoned in Pontefract castle and mysteriously died in 1400. Henry IV, not being the natural successor (but Edmund Earl of March), faced a number of challenges to his place on the throne but finally managed to keep it. The so-called War of the Roses started during the reign of his grandson [[Henry VI]]. | |||
== Bibliography == | |||
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/richardii_reign_01.shtml | |||
* http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/wars_of_roses.htm | |||
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_of_England | |||
* Jürgen Kramer. ''Britain and Ireland: A Concise History''. Abingdon: Routledge, 2007. | |||
Latest revision as of 13:57, 14 December 2012
1367-1400. English king.
“The reign of Richard II illustrates the changing nature of the crown and society after the Black Death wiped out almost half the population from 1348. Richard's downfall has also been called the first round in what the Victorians named the 'Wars of the Roses', the bloody, noble civil wars that devastated England from around 1450 to 1487. But the legacy of his rule laid the foundation for that conflict and together with the impact of the plague achieved a social transformation that changed Britain forever” (BBC History).
Peasants' Revolt
When Richard came to the throne, the government was in the hands of a series of councils because of his youth (10 years old). His uncle, John of Gaunt, was highly influential. People saw Richard’s councellors as corrupt officials trying to exploit the weakness of the king. Four years later a poll tax was declared to finance the continuing war with France (Hundred Years War). There was tremendous uproar amongst the peasantry, who had already seriously resented the government´s attempts to deprive them of their benefits from the post-pandemic labour shortage after the Black Death (1348).
This, combined with continuing efforts by land owners to reintroduce servility of the peasants, led to the Peasants' Revolt, also known as Wat Tyler´s Rebellion. After its leader was killed, Richard, then only 14, showed great courage, shouting to the peasants to follow him. He led them off, calmed them down with promises of reforms, and convinced them to disperse to their homes. Although Richard did not keep any of his promises claiming that they were made under threat and were therefore not valid in law, and the peasants were forced back into their old way of life, now they came and went in relation to the wages they were offered by the lords. The feudal system cracked and serfdom came to an end.
Dethroning and Death
The seeds of the War of the Roses, a fundamental event in late medieval times, dates back to Richard II’s reign. Edward III, his grandfather, died in 1377. The eldest son, Edward, the Black Prince (Richard´s father) had died in 1376, so Richard became king. As I have already mentioned his uncle, John of Gaunt, ruled the country, but as Richard grew older he rebelled against his uncle and made decisions that were not popular with the most powerful men. In 1399 John of Gaunt died and Richard confiscated the land he had owned. John of Gaunt’s son, Henry Bolingbroke, raised an army and when Richard surrendered took the throne as Henry IV. Richard was imprisoned in Pontefract castle and mysteriously died in 1400. Henry IV, not being the natural successor (but Edmund Earl of March), faced a number of challenges to his place on the throne but finally managed to keep it. The so-called War of the Roses started during the reign of his grandson Henry VI.
Bibliography
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/richardii_reign_01.shtml
- http://www.historyonthenet.com/Tudors/wars_of_roses.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_of_England
- Jürgen Kramer. Britain and Ireland: A Concise History. Abingdon: Routledge, 2007.