Título: Richard II of England
Seção: First crisis of 1386-88
Background: Richard of Bordeaux was the younger son of Edward, the Black Prince, and Joan of Kent. Edward, heir apparent to the throne of England, had distinguished himself as a military commander in the early phases of the Hundred Years' War, particularly in the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. After further military adventures, however, he contracted dysentery in Spain in 1370. He never fully recovered and had to return to England the next year.

Conteúdo: Whereas the poll tax of 1381 was the spark of the Peasants' Revolt, the root of the conflict lay in tensions between peasants and landowners precipitated by the economic and demographic consequences of the Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of the plague. The rebellion started in Kent and Essex in late May, and on 12 June, bands of peasants gathered at Blackheath near London under the leaders Wat Tyler, John Ball, and Jack Straw. John of Gaunt's Savoy Palace was burnt down. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury, who was also Lord Chancellor, and the king's Lord High Treasurer, Robert Hales, were both killed by the rebels, who were demanding the complete abolition of serfdom. The king, sheltered within the Tower of London with his councillors, agreed that the Crown did not have the forces to disperse the rebels and that the only feasible option was to negotiate.  It is unclear how much Richard, who was still only fourteen years old, was involved in these deliberations, although historians have suggested that he was among the proponents of negotiations. The king set out by the River Thames on 13 June, but the large number of people thronging the banks at Greenwich made it impossible for him to land, forcing him to return to the Tower. The next day, Friday, 14 June, he set out by horse and met the rebels at Mile End. The king agreed to the rebels' demands, but this move only emboldened them; they continued their looting and killings. Richard met Wat Tyler again the next 

user: What events precipitated the first crisis of 1386?

assistant: lay in tensions between peasants and landowners precipitated by the economic and demographic consequences of the Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of the plague.

user: How did Richard II deal with these class tensions?

assistant: The rebellion started in Kent and Essex in late May, and on 12 June,

user: What was the response to the rebellion?

assistant: sheltered within the Tower of London with his councillors, agreed that the Crown did not have the forces

user: What changes in the government resulted from the rebellion?

assistant: king's Lord High Treasurer, Robert Hales, were both killed by the rebels, who were demanding the complete abolition of serfdom.

user: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

assistant: The king soon revoked the charters of freedom and pardon that he had granted, and as disturbances continued in other parts of the country,

user: What was the response to the revocation of the charters of freedom?

assistant: helped shape the absolutist attitudes to kingship that would later prove fatal to his reign.

user: What happened to the reign of Richard II eventually?

assistant: Richard now had no choice but to comply with the appellants' demands;

user: What were the demands?

assistant: Brembre and Tresilian were condemned and executed, while de Vere and de la Pole

user: What happened to de Vere and de la Pole?

assistant: who had by now also left the country - were sentenced to death in absentia at the Merciless Parliament in February 1388.

user: What change in government ensued?

assistant: number of Richard's chamber knights were also executed,

user: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

assistant: The appellants had now succeeded completely in breaking up the circle of favourites around the king.