The Tower of London has served as the ultimate symbol of royal authority since William the Conqueror first laid its stones in the 1070s. For nearly a millennium, its formidable walls have withstood medieval sieges, the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, and the relentless blitz of World War II. Yet, in its long and storied history, the fortress was breached by an internal enemy only once. On a humid June morning in 1381, a ragtag army of commoners—fueled by decades of economic oppression and a fresh, stinging poll tax—did the unthinkable: they stormed the Tower, dragged the kingdom’s most powerful officials to the executioner’s block, and changed the course of English social history forever.

This summer, veteran director Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, The Bourne Ultimatum) brings this visceral chapter of history to life in The Uprising. Starring Andrew Garfield as a fictionalized farmer known only as "The Ploughman," the film seeks to bridge the gap between the dry pages of medieval chronicles and the raw, kinetic energy of a popular revolution. As the film prepares for its September 10 theatrical release, the real story of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt remains a haunting reminder of what happens when a government ignores the plight of its most vulnerable citizens.

Main Facts: A Kingdom on the Brink

The Peasants’ Revolt was not a spontaneous riot; it was the culmination of a socioeconomic pressure cooker that had been simmering for over thirty years. The primary catalyst was the Black Death, which arrived in England in 1348 and wiped out an estimated 30 to 50 percent of the population. While the plague brought unimaginable grief, it also created an accidental economic leverage for the survivors. With a massive labor shortage, the surviving serfs—historically bound to the land and their lords—realized they could demand higher wages and better conditions.

The ruling elite responded with the Statute of Labourers in 1351, a draconian law that attempted to freeze wages at pre-plague levels and restricted the movement of workers. This set the stage for a class war. By 1381, England was also mired in the expensive and failing Hundred Years’ War with France. To fund the military, the government of the 14-year-old King Richard II imposed a series of "poll taxes"—flat taxes levied on every individual regardless of income. The third of these taxes, introduced in 1380, was the breaking point.

In The Uprising, Greengrass focuses on this systemic failure. Andrew Garfield’s character represents the "everyman" of the 14th century—a man who has lost his family to the plague and his livelihood to the tax collector. "I wanted to focus on someone history never named at all," Greengrass said in a director’s statement. "A farmer, the first man to raise his hand in Essex… I wanted him to stand for all the ordinary people who actually rose up and paid the price for it."

Chronology: The Summer of Blood

The Spark in Essex (May 30 – June 2, 1381)

The rebellion began in the Essex village of Fobbing. When a tax commissioner named John Bampton arrived to collect unpaid dues, the villagers, led by Thomas Baker, refused to pay and drove the officials out of town. Word spread like wildfire. Within days, "runners and riders" were dispatched across the southeastern counties, coordinating a mass movement of like-minded men pledged to "destroy the corrupt officials" and "have no law in England except those they themselves moved to be ordained."

The March on London (June 7 – June 12, 1381)

As Essex rose, so did Kent. The Kentish rebels chose Wat Tyler, a man of mysterious origins but charismatic leadership, as their commander. Along the way, they broke into Maidstone Prison to free John Ball, a radical priest who had been jailed for preaching that "things would never go well in England until everything was held in common." By June 12, a massive rebel force—estimated by modern historians to be around 10,000 strong—had gathered at Blackheath and Mile End, overlooking the capital.

The Breach and the Tower Massacre (June 13 – June 14, 1381)

On June 13, the rebels entered London, aided by sympathetic townspeople who lowered the drawbridge at London Bridge. They targeted symbols of royal corruption, most notably the Savoy Palace, the opulent home of John of Gaunt, the King’s unpopular uncle.

The following morning, in an act of desperation, the young King Richard II met with rebel leaders at Mile End. He promised to abolish serfdom and grant pardons to all. While the King was negotiating, however, a radical faction of the rebels stormed the Tower of London. They seized Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Robert Hales, the Lord High Treasurer. Both men were dragged to Tower Hill and beheaded; Sudbury’s death was particularly gruesome, requiring eight blows of the axe.

The Climax at Smithfield (June 15, 1381)

The revolt reached its fever pitch at Smithfield. Wat Tyler met the King again, presenting even more radical demands, including the total redistribution of church wealth and the abolition of the bishopric hierarchy. During the tense encounter, Tyler allegedly insulted the King and was struck down by William Walworth, the Mayor of London. As the rebels prepared to draw their bows in retaliation, the 14-year-old Richard II famously rode toward them, shouting, "I will be your leader! Follow me!" He led the mob away, buying time for the royalist forces to regroup.

Supporting Data: Who Were the Rebels?

Contrary to the Victorian-era image of a "mob" of illiterate dirt-farmers, modern research reveals a much more complex demographic. The "People of 1381" project, a research initiative by the University of Glasgow, has compiled a database of over 28,000 records related to the revolt.

Key Findings from the Data:

• Social Diversity: The insurgents included wealthy farmers, artisans, local constables, and even members of the lower gentry. These were people with administrative experience who knew how the system worked—and exactly how it was failing them.
• Gender Participation: While men led the military maneuvers, women were active participants. Joanna Ferrour of Kent is recorded as leading the attack on the Savoy Palace and personally ordering the execution of the King’s counselors.
• Xenophobia and Competition: The data shows that the violence wasn’t only directed at the government. In London, rebels targeted Flemish merchants, viewing them as economic competitors. Dozens were dragged from churches and beheaded in the streets.

Official Responses: From Concession to Terror

The historical response of the Crown was one of calculated betrayal. At Mile End, Richard II granted charters of freedom to the peasants. However, once the immediate threat to London had passed and Wat Tyler was dead, the King rescinded every promise.

By July 1381, royal commissions were dispatched across the country to hunt down the ringleaders. John Ball was hanged, drawn, and quartered. When a delegation of Essex men reminded the King of his promises at Mile End, Richard II reportedly replied: "Rustics you were and rustics you are still; you will remain in bondage, not as before, but incomparably harsher."

In The Uprising, Greengrass depicts this shift from the King’s "divine favor" to "barely legal terror." Woody Norman, who plays the young Richard II, portrays a monarch who is both terrified and dangerously emboldened by his survival, setting the stage for the tyrannical behavior that would lead to his eventual deposition in 1399.

Implications: The Long Shadow of 1381

The 1381 Peasants’ Revolt failed in its immediate goals. Serfdom was not abolished by royal decree, and the poll taxes were not officially struck from the books until much later. However, the rebellion fundamentally altered the English psyche.

Economic Shifts

Historians like Helen Carr argue that the revolt paved the way for the eventual decline of feudalism. Landowners, terrified of another uprising, began to treat their tenants with more caution. Wages gradually rose, and the strict enforcement of the Statute of Labourers became practically impossible. By the 15th century, serfdom had largely withered away in England, replaced by a system of free labor and land tenancy.

Political Legacy

The revolt established a blueprint for English radicalism. The questions raised by John Ball—"When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?"—echoed through the centuries, influencing the Levellers of the English Civil War, the Chartists of the 19th century, and even the anti-poll tax riots of 1990 that contributed to Margaret Thatcher’s downfall.

Modern Parallels

In the film’s promotional tour, Andrew Garfield highlighted the contemporary relevance of the story. "There’s a genuine awakening happening [in the film]," Garfield told Esquire. "An awakening to one’s own dignity… and with that a quest to put the world right." Greengrass, who began writing the script during the COVID-19 lockdowns, saw clear parallels between the post-plague labor shortages of the 1300s and the modern "Great Resignation" and rising wealth inequality of the 2020s.

The Uprising serves as a cinematic bridge to a past that feels uncomfortably familiar. While the armor and the axes belong to the 14th century, the core conflict—the struggle for a fairer society in the wake of a global catastrophe—is a story that is still being written today. When The Uprising hits theaters this September, it will not just be a history lesson; it will be a reflection of the enduring power of the "unnamed" people who, for one brief moment in 1381, held the fate of a kingdom in their hands.