England in the fourteenth century

The State of the Country

England in the fourteenth century was a highly feudal society with the king at the top, followed by ranks of nobility, clergy, and the common people.
The population was around 4 million, but it experienced a sharp decline due to the Black Death pandemic in the mid-century.
Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy with common people working as labourers or tenants on lands owned by the nobility.
There were rising tensions among the social classes due to disparity in wealth and power.

King Edward III ruled between 1327 and 1377. His reign saw the start of the Hundred Years’ War against France, beginning in 1337.
The war put a considerable strain on the economy and witnessed heavy taxation, causing discontent among the masses.
The Black Death in the 1340s killed around half of England’s population, leading to a severe labour shortage and societal upheaval.
The Peasants’ Revolt, in 1381, was a direct result of the social and economic pressures and is one the most famous uprisings in English history.

The Catholic Church was extremely powerful and exerted significant influence over the government and society.
It was the era of avignon papacy (1309-1377) when popes resided not in Rome but Avignon, which somewhat undermined Rome’s authority.
Religious teachings and practices were often criticised, leading to the early seeds of the Lollard movement, begun by John Wycliffe.

The 14th century marked a transitional period in English literature from medieval to Renaissance.
Geoffrey Chaucer, famous for his work ‘The Canterbury Tales’, greatly contributed to the development of the English language and literature.
Despite the Feudal system constraining the majority of the population, there was a growing interest in education and literacy, particularly in urban areas.