The Peasants' Revolt; also called Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising; was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes; including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black Death in the 1340s; the high taxes resulting from the conflict with France during the Hundred Years' War; and instability within the local leadership of London. The final trigger for the revolt was the intervention of a royal official; John Bampton; in Essex on 30 May 1381. His attempts to collect unpaid poll taxes in Brentwood ended in a violent confrontation; which rapidly spread across the south-east of the country.

Unrest continued until the intervention of Henry le Despenser; who defeated a rebel army at the Battle of North Walsham on 25 or 26 June. Troubles extended north to York; Beverley and Scarborough; and as far west as Bridgwater in Somerset. Richard II mobilised 4;000 soldiers to restore order. Most of the rebel leaders were tracked down and executed; by November; at least 1;500 rebels had been killed.