Froissarts Relentless Mob

Jean Froissart, French scholar of the fourteenth century, can be said to have a somewhat close-minded opinion when analyzing his historical account of the Jacquerie revolt of 1358. Being of the nobility, or upper class of the time, Froissart made it seem that the peasantry was mainly an unruly mob with no sense of morality or political position, and done so with the purpose of making the nobility seem to be the righteous victims.

Froissart claimed these Jacquerie, the group of peasants he described in the reading, have no organization and act without rule. This can be seen as incite to how Froissart wanted to portray the peasantry of the time to be like. The common folk described by Froissart, could very well have been organized under some sort of leadership, but this of course is not what Froissart would want the readers to believe. Froissart wrote that "For certain people of the common villages, without any head or ruler, assembledÐ'...gathered together without any other counsel." (1), directly stating that he felt they were completely without order of any sort. It is understood that mobs can form for a common purpose but this revolt seemed to have not just been a mob, but a revolt, most likely against the governing peoples of the areas. In stating that they were unorganized and without a leader is most likely Froissart's way of possible covering up the wrongdoings of the nobility in the area. Perhaps there was uncalled-for taxes being set up, or decisions being made that were totally unjust and the general rural population strongly disagreed. There is a good chance at this period in time the peasantry was finally organized in some manor or another and could finally fight for their general rights, fight back against the nobility and possibly the feudal system.

Of course Froissart refrains from giving the peasant population any credibility to their revolt, he wants to make it look like he and the other nobility are just victims, when, in actuality, they most likely brought this upon themselves.

Froissart made sure to write about the supposedly horrible attacks on the nobility by the Jacquerie, and he made sure to emphasize relentless cruelty. This cruelty may, or may not have been present, but it is documented and should be considered. It is quite possible that these actions were committed but it is should also be mentioned that the lords and manors of the time most likely still had some what of a militia or military unit that they defended themselves and their homesteads with, implying that these attacks may not have had the outcomes Froissart describes, but may have been more two-sided than written. Froissart claims that the peasants broke in to a number of lord's

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