The failed negotiation between Watt Tyler and King Richard II highlights the fragility of political promises in times of unrest. Despite initial agreements to end serfdom and redistribute land, insults escalated tensions, resulting in Tyler’s violent death and the subsequent massacre of rebels. The brutal crackdown exemplifies the severe consequences of rebellion, while John Ball’s vision of equality starkly contrasts the existing societal hierarchy.
To fully grasp capitalism, it helps to understand the system it replaced – and the most meaningful differences between feudalism and capitalism. We visit the British Isles of the Middle Ages.
By John Biewen, with co-host Ellen McGirt. Interviews with Karen Dempsey, Ben Jervis, and Eleanor Janega. Story editor: Loretta Williams. Music by Michelle Osis, Lilli Haydn, Chris Westlake, Alex Symcox, and Goodnight, Lucas. Music consulting by Joe Augustine of Narrative Music. “Capitalism” is a production of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, in partnership with Imperative 21.