Medieval uprisings debunk the obedience myth

The piece argues that the Middle Ages were not an era of unquestioned obedience. Across Europe—England, France, Florence and beyond—regular people resisted authority through popular revolts sparked by heavy taxation, labor disputes after the Black Death, and disenfranchisement. Notable examples include England’s 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, the French Jacquerie of 1358, and the Ciompi revolt in Florence (1378). Guilds, confraternities, and urban networks helped organize resistance, illustrating that authority was a two-way street and consent mattered as much then as it does today.