It was a peace treaty between King John and rebel barons protecting baronial privileges and limiting arbitrary royal taxation and imprisonment — it was annulled within months. Learn it step by step →
Power, Migration & the People is a core part of GCSE History. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
Magna Carta1215 charter forcing King John to obey the law
Simon de MontfortCalled the first elected parliament in 1265
Peasants' Revolt1381 rising led by Wat Tyler against the Poll Tax
Poll TaxFlat-rate tax on every adult — sparked 1381 revolt
Charles IKing executed in January 1649 after Civil War
Bill of Rights1689 law limiting the monarch and protecting parliament
Glorious Revolution1688 overthrow of James II — secured parliamentary rule
Peterloo1819 massacre of reform protesters in Manchester
Emmeline PankhurstFounded the WSPU Suffragettes in 1903
Direct actionProtest by smashing, marching or hunger strike
Anti-slavery1807 trade abolished, 1833 slavery ended in Empire
Minority rightsGay rights, race relations — won by 20th-c campaigns
Great Reform Act1832 — gave the vote to more middle-class men
Chartists1838-1858 movement for six demands inc. votes for men
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Learn Power, Migration & the People step by step
Free interactive mini-lessons: short screens, worked examples and quick checks. Pick your exam board:
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
What did Magna Carta actually do in 1215?✗ Magna Carta gave ordinary English people democratic rights and freedom.✓ It was a peace treaty between King John and rebel barons protecting baronial privileges and limiting arbitrary royal taxation and imprisonment — it was annulled within months.
Why did Chartism fail in the short term?✗ Chartism failed because no one supported it.✓ Mass petitions were rejected by Parliament; the movement split between moral-force and physical-force wings; economic improvement after 1848 reduced support.
What caused the Peasants' Revolt of 1381?✗ The peasants revolted because they were starving and had no food.✓ The poll tax of 1381 on top of long-term anger over labour laws restricting peasant wages after the Black Death and resentment at clerical wealth.
Who led the Peasants' Revolt of 1381?✗ Simon de Montfort✓ Wat Tyler
What did the 1832 Great Reform Act actually do?✗ The 1832 Reform Act gave the vote to all working men.✓ It abolished rotten boroughs, redistributed seats to industrial towns, and extended the vote to about 1 in 5 adult men — still far short of democracy.
Practise Power, Migration & the People — free games
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