Long Reads: Class Struggle in Medieval England w/ Dominic Alexander
Jacobin Radio
Jacobin
4.7 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 16 November 2023
⏱️ 62 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For centuries, the English Peasants’ Revolt in 1381 only appeared in the historical record through bitterly hostile sources. Medieval chroniclers like Froissart presented it as a terrifying eruption of savagery from the lower classes. But the rise of modern social movements organizing workers and farmers encouraged historians to take a fresh look at this early challenge to aristocratic power.
Dominic Alexander, historian and the author of Saints and Animals in the Middle Ages, joins Long Reads to discuss this revolt and a much earlier one, in the twelfth century, led by a man called William Longbeard. While Longbeard was defeated, he has a strong claim to be recognized as England’s first social revolutionary.
Find Dominic's articles, "William Longbeard Was England’s First Revolutionary Leader" and "The English Peasants’ Revolt Gave Birth to a Revolutionary Tradition," on the Jacobin website.
Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies, music by Knxwledge.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello you're very welcome to Long Reed to |
| 0:02.8 | Jacovin podcast where we look in depth of political topics and |
| 0:05.8 | thinkers. My name's Daniel Finn and the features editor here at |
| 0:09.9 | Jacobin and I'll be presenting the show. |
| 0:12.3 | The man and up from Kent, and out of Essex do, |
| 0:17.0 | and not but the Thames divides us and unites us on the truth. |
| 0:21.0 | We're listening to a song by the English folk group Fairport Convention called |
| 0:25.7 | Watt Tyler. It's named after the most famous leader of the English Pezents |
| 0:30.4 | revolt in 1381. For centuries after its defeat, the revolt only appeared in the historical record through bitterly hostile sources. |
| 0:39.4 | Medieval chroniclers like Frossar presented it as a terrifying eruption of savagery from the lower classes. |
| 0:46.9 | The rise of modern social movements, organizing workers and farmers, encouraged historians to |
| 0:52.4 | take a fresh look at this early challenge to aristocratic |
| 0:55.6 | power. |
| 0:56.6 | You are Kingwood Hear us. |
| 0:58.7 | Our loyalty was clear. |
| 1:01.3 | Bloody loyal, bold tax, and it brought us labors here. |
| 1:05.3 | But yes he wouldn't see us. |
| 1:08.3 | So, to London, we didn't roar. |
| 1:10.8 | And the ball there, and the Essex man burst down the prison at all. |
| 1:17.0 | What happened at the tower was justice roughing parts, |
| 1:22.0 | the murders of the blemish boys that are easy in my heart. |
| 1:27.0 | And now the King Macias said Tyler to his men. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jacobin, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jacobin and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.