Causes of Kett's rebellion, 1549

Enclosure
1. the rebels attacked fences and hedges which shows their opposition to enclosure
2. The first articles of their demands was about enclosure
3. It was the attack on Flowerdew's enclosure that triggered the whole enclosure
4. 6% of the population owned 60% of the land
5. It was an upset to the Great Chain of Being
  1. Article 3: No man shall "common upon the commons"
6. Only 3/29 of the Norfolk articles concern enclosure
Economic factors
1. 35% of the population were too poor to pay taxes
2. By the 1540s there was high unemployment in East Anglia because of the collapse of the cloth trade
3. Rebels complained strongly about an increase in rents
  1. The period was experiencing high inflation
  2. Rack-renting was attacked because it was seen as unscrupulous landlords passing heavy taxes to peasants
    1. Upsetting Great Chain of Being
Somerset's policies
1. Somerset's sympathy with the rebels may have encouraged rebellions
  1. Eg Somerset gave support to the "commonwealth men" - a group of Christian reformers who campaigned against the exploitation of the poor
2. If the rebels believed they had Somerset's support they were likely to express their grievances
3. Loades argues Somerset turned a "harmless moral... into a potentially explosive ideology"
Religon
1. Many grievances argue for better clergy
2. Only 3/29 articles concern religion
3. Wanted clergy to educate the poor
Personal clashes
1. John Flowerdew acted as a tipping point for rebellion

Resource summary

	Created by 199627 over 12 years ago