In the summer of 1381, a massive, organized uprising of English peasants, tradesmen, and landless laborers marched on London to demand justice from the boy king, Richard II. Driven by the imposition of a poll tax and the hardships of plague, famine, and war, the rebels sought to dismantle the rigid social order of the Middle Ages. Their bold, and ultimately tragic, quest for freedom and equality challenged the power of the monarchy and the church, leaving an indelible mark on English history.