Medieval British History: Life, Plagues, Revolts and Wars Explained

Ordinary People and Daily Life in Medieval Times

1) How was life in the countryside?

English: Life in the country was totally hard; people worked from dawn to dusk, had houses made of straw, ate grains, and consumed pork only for special occasions.

Spanish: La vida en el campo era sumamente dura; trabajaban de sol a sol, tenían casas hechas de paja y comían cereales, reservando la carne de cerdo para ocasiones especiales.

2) Explain the manorial system.

English: The poor were separated from their masters by the feudal class system. The basis of this "manorial system" was the exchange of land for labor. The landlord expected the villagers to work a fixed number of days on his own land.

Spanish: Los pobres estaban separados de sus amos por el sistema de clases feudal. La base de este "sistema señorial" era el intercambio de tierra por mano de obra. El terrateniente esperaba que los aldeanos trabajaran un número fijo de días en sus propias tierras.

The Century of Plagues

1) Which plagues attacked England? What were their consequences?

• Black Death and Bubonic Plague: Probably more than one-third of the entire population of Britain died, and fewer than one person in ten who caught the plague managed to survive it.
• Whole villages disappeared, and some towns were almost completely deserted until the plague itself died out.

The Poor in Revolt

1) Why was there discontent during Richard II's reign?

In 1381, this tax was enforced for a third time and also increased to three times the previous amount. There was an immediate revolt in East Anglia and in Kent, two of the richer parts of the country. The poorer parts of the country, the north and northwest, did not rebel. This suggests that in the richer areas, ordinary people had become more aware and confident of their rights and their power.

The new tax led to revolt, but there were also other reasons for discontent. The landlords had been trying for some time to force the peasants back into serfdom, because serf labor was cheaper than paid labor.

Wales in Revolt

1) What did William Wallace and Owain Glyndwr have in common?

English: What both have in common is that they were warriors who fought against England; one did it for Wales and the other for Scotland.

Spanish: Lo que ambos tienen en común es que eran guerreros que lucharon contra Inglaterra; uno lo hizo por Gales y el otro por Escocia.

The Struggle in France

1) What was the reason behind the Hundred Years' War?

English: There are several reasons for the occurrence of the war. Firstly, Edward III of England claimed to be the legal heir to the French throne. His mother, Isabella, was sister to Charles IV of France, which made Edward the only direct heir following Charles's death. The French couldn't stand the idea of an Englishman ruling over them.

Spanish: Hay varias razones para el estallido de la guerra. En primer lugar, Eduardo III de Inglaterra afirmó ser el heredero legal al trono de Francia. Su madre, Isabel, era hermana de Carlos IV de Francia, lo que convirtió a Eduardo en el único heredero directo tras la muerte de Carlos. Los franceses no soportaban la idea de que un inglés los gobernara.

2) Who was Joan of Arc?

English: She is considered a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. She led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War. She was captured by the Burgundians, sold to the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was 19 years old.

Spanish: Es considerada una heroína nacional de Francia y santa católica. Lideró al ejército francés hacia varias victorias importantes durante la Guerra de los Cien Años. Fue capturada por los borgoñones, vendida a los ingleses, juzgada por un tribunal eclesiástico y quemada en la hoguera cuando tenía 19 años.

The Wars of the Roses

1) How did the Wars of the Roses start?

The war began in 1455 when Richard, Duke of York, challenged the current king's right to the throne. Richard descended ultimately from the same deposed line. The king at the time was the Lancastrian Henry VI, a pious but weak ruler prone to bouts of insanity. He descended from Henry IV. The war was fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.