Year 7 - History
The Statute of Labourers and the response to the Black Death
The Peasants' Revolt: why do historians disagree about its causes?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the differing interpretations that exist regarding the causes of the Peasants' Revolt. They will examine the impact of the Black Death on England alongside the short-term causes of the uprising.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe the government's response to peasant demands for higher wages.
Key Notes
- The Black Death killed around half of the English population.
- The Black Death caused labour shortages.
- Labourers began to demand better pay for their work.
- The Statute of Labourers ordered labourers to stop asking for more money.
- Historians disagree about the aims of the Statute of Labourers.
Vocabulary To Learn
- peasant: a person in the medieval period who worked the land and had few legal protections
- negotiate: to obtain something by discussion
- statute: a written law
- labourer: a person doing unskilled work for wages
- ordinance: an order given by a ruler, often a king
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That the Statute of Labourers immediately forced all peasants to return to their home manors and to cease negotiating higher wages.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The Black Death killed around half of the English population. The Black Death caused labour shortages.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'peasant'
a person in the medieval period who worked the land and had few legal protections.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: That the Statute of Labourers immediately forced all peasants to return to their home manors and to cease negotiating higher wages. Correction: Through the interpretations section of the lesson, draw out the point that the Statute of Labourers was unenforceable in many cases.
More Lessons In This Unit
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