The so-called Peasants’ Revolt, or Wat Tyler’s Revolt, was a popular uprising in England in 1381. This uprising involved rural residents who, faced with a general economic crisis that had been ongoing for years, stemming from the feudal policy of exploiting cultivated land by employing underpaid workers, often reduced to the status of serfs, and from failed agrarian reforms, were seeking to change the situation. This was primarily due to the beliefs developed following the Black Death of 1348–1349, according to which the “Second Coming of Christ” would soon occur, after the suffering endured by the epidemic, which would eliminate all social distinctions and bring greater equality. The revolt was bloodily suppressed, resulting in at least 1,500 deaths. The University of Cambridge archives were also burned during the uprising, chanting “Away with clerical learning! Away with everything!” Court records and debt documents were also set on fire.
