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A new film spotlights one of the most significant yet overlooked revolts in English history – an event that some say helped sow the seeds of later democratic movements and that had a debate over Christian teaching at its core.
"The Uprising" (rated R) stars Andrew Garfield and tells the story of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, when thousands of commoners – joined by tradesmen and others – did something unheard of for the era: They rose up against government officials and demanded change. The monarch – 14-year-old King Richard II – survived, although several of his top officials were killed as rebels stormed London and breached the Tower of London.
Although the revolt was ultimately crushed, it challenged the social order and helped change how common people were viewed.
“This is one of the first times you can really see ordinary people enter the stage in politics in the English-speaking world,” historian Dan Jones told Crosswalk Headlines. He is the author of "Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381." “Before this, politics was a matter of kings basically thrashing things out with the elites.”
A series of events helped lead to the Peasants’ Revolt, beginning in the aftermath of the Black Death, a deadly pandemic that killed perhaps half of England’s population. The resulting labor shortage should have given workers more leverage, but the government responded by limiting wages and restricting their ability to leave for better-paying jobs. The final spark came in 1381, when an unpopular tax – and aggressive efforts to collect it – triggered violence.
Jones described it as a “genuinely popular uprising of ordinary people who feel that they've been pushed to the limit.”
A radical priest named John Ball helped lead the revolt. His actions are featured prominently in the film.
“You can't understand the uprising without religion,” Jones told Crosswalk Headlines.
Jones described Ball as a man who is “starting to articulate ideas that will become … at the center of the Reformation” – that is, the “tearing apart of the old church and the building of a new.”
Ball is known for the famous line, “When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman (nobleman)?” – arguing there were no class systems in the Garden of Eden when Adam dug (delved) and Eve spun thread (span). The message was simple: Why, then, should there be classes in England?
“This famous rhyming couplet asks a deep religious question, which is: At the time of the creation in the Garden of Eden, God didn't create lordship,” Jones said. “He didn't create these systems of laws, these institutions that seem to be oppressing people. God created a pure Earth in which His love was mediated through humanity. That is at the core of the peasants’ belief.
“They have these fundamental, simplistic, antediluvian ideas of what religion means and what the relationship between God and man should be, and they want to see a sort of a pure society restored along religious principles. All of these things are sort of bubbling away underneath this rebellion.”
Although the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 is taught in American history classes, it doesn’t receive the same attention as it does in Britain, where the rebellion unfolded. Its most famous leader, Wat Tyler, remains a recognizable name in British history.
“This is an opportunity to reflect,” Jones said, “on where the world we live in came from – where the ideas that underpin American democracy, European democracy emerged 700 years ago.”
The Uprising opens in theaters Sept. 11. It is rated R for violence/bloody images.
Photo Credit: ©FocusFeatures
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published September 04, 2026.
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Facts Only
* The film "The Uprising" stars Andrew Garfield.
* The film tells the story of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.
* Thousands of commoners, tradesmen, and others rose up against government officials in 1381.
* King Richard II survived the revolt.
* Several of King Richard II's top officials were killed as rebels stormed London and breached the Tower of London.
* The revolt followed the aftermath of the Black Death, which killed half of England’s population.
* The government limited wages and restricted workers' ability to seek better jobs following the labor shortage.
* An unpopular tax and aggressive collection efforts triggered violence in 1381.
* John Ball led the revolt; his ideas are featured in the film.
* John Ball questioned class systems, arguing God did not create lordship in the Garden of Eden.
Executive Summary
A film titled "The Uprising" stars Andrew Garfield and dramatizes the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, an event which sparked tensions regarding Christian teachings. The revolt involved thousands of commoners, along with tradesmen, rising against government officials in 1381 and demanding change. King Richard II survived the revolt, but several of his top officials were killed as rebels entered London and breached the Tower of London.
The revolt was preceded by conditions stemming from the Black Death, which caused a massive population loss. Labor shortages followed the pandemic, but the government attempted to limit wages and restrict workers' mobility. The immediate trigger for the violence in 1381 was an unpopular tax and aggressive collection efforts.
Historian Dan Jones suggests the revolt represents an early instance of ordinary people entering politics, contrasting with previous political structures dominated by elites. The revolt was influenced by religious ideas, notably articulated by John Ball, who questioned class systems based on the concept of equality in the Garden of Eden. Jones frames this as a rebellion rooted in the belief that God did not create social hierarchies, which bubbled beneath the surface of the revolt.
Full Take
The narrative weaves a complex argument about the intersection of social upheaval and religious thought. The link drawn between the Peasants' Revolt and the seeds of later democratic movements suggests that challenges to existing social orders are often rooted in fundamental, pre-existing philosophical or theological frameworks regarding natural rights and divine order. Jones’s analysis highlights how spiritual questioning—specifically challenging established hierarchies—can serve as a catalyst for political action. The pattern emerges that when material conditions (like labor scarcity) intersect with deeply held spiritual narratives (like the nature of divine creation), revolutionary energy is generated.
The implication for understanding history is that seemingly disparate events are often symptomatic of deeper, unaddressed tensions regarding authority and legitimacy. The focus on Ball’s theological arguments—questioning inherited social structures—demonstrates how religious discourse can be a potent vehicle for articulating resistance against perceived oppression, suggesting that the search for political equality is often predicated on a prior religious critique of established institutions. A critical question remains about which elements of this spiritual critique were actively mobilized versus those that merely provided backdrop for the revolt. What mechanisms allowed these "antediluvian ideas" to translate into tangible demands for societal restructuring?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like an informed journalistic piece synthesizing academic history with religious interpretation, exhibiting strong, focused narrative development typical of specialized reporting.