Dominic Alexander is a historian and the author of Saints and Animals in the Middle Ages (2008).
In 1381, English peasants and the urban poor rose up against feudal domination and briefly took control of London. Their revolt against the established order was crushed by brutal force, but it left behind the idea of a world without masters.
William Longbeard led a 12th-century revolt in London that forms a key part in the thread of class struggle that runs through English history. He deserves a place of honor in the radical tradition.