The Middle Ages
On June 15th, he met the rebels again at Smithfield outside of the city's walls. It is
said that this was the idea of the Lord Mayor who wanted to get the rebels out of the
city. Medieval London was mostly wooden. Any attempt to put down the rebels in the
city could have ended in a fire or the rebels would have found it easy to vanish into
the city once they knew that soldiers were after them. At this meeting, the Lord
Mayor killed Wat Tyle who was one of the leaders of peasents. The death of Tyler
and another promise by Richard to give the peasants what they asked for, was enough
to send them home.
By the summer of 1381, the revolt was over. Richard did not keep any of his
promises claiming that they were made under threat and were therefore not valid in
law. Leaders from both Kent and Essex were hanged. The poll tax was withdrawn
but the peasants were forced back into their old way of life - under the control of the
lord of the manor.
Key persons
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