Lrt: Seriously, I did my undergrad thesis on the effects of the Black Death on 14th c England and the events leading to the Wat Tyler rebellion. Suddenly there were far fewer people to do just as much work—the power was shifting to the people away from the nobility. 1/4 And the nobility tried to claw back the power as best they could by passing all kinds of regulations regarding wages, prices, restricting movement of people (to keep folks from running to the cities), etc. Which landowners then ignored when it was convenient for them. 2/4

Ok, since the general topic is coming up, let's talk a little about the Seattle General Strike of 1919. (Quick note: I am not an expert in this period; this is based solely on reading some secondary sources. This is also gonna be a more general thread, no big details.) 1/n So, 1919. Nearly two years after WWI ended, and after war related wage freezes were supposed to end. No surprise, they didn't, all over the country. Seattle was a hotbed of unionism, with various factions all competing for various industries. 2/n