Everything Everywhere Daily · Tuesday, August 4, 2026
The episode details how a series of unpopular poll taxes, implemented to fund the Hundred Years' War, became a major catalyst for the Peasants' Revolt. The third poll tax, a flat rate of one shilling per adult imposed in 1380, was particularly burdensome and led to widespread tax evasion and governmental investigation, sparking localized resistance.
“The third poll tax, granted by Parliament in November of 1380, set a flat rate of one shilling per adult.”
“While it was later adjusted to allow the wealthy in a community to help cover the poor, in practice, the burden on ordinary villagers was heavier than any previous tax and fell with particular weight on regions that had already contributed to the first two collections.”
“Tax evasion was widespread, and when the government's assessors compared the returns against expected population figures in the spring of 1381, the shortfall was so large that commissioners were dispatched into the counties to investigate fraud and collect what was owed.”