Popular Protest In Early Modern Europe

Question 1

What were some examples of popular protest in the period?

Answer 1

• German peasants war
• British civil wars
• period ended with French Revolution

Question 2

What was the definition of popular protest?

Answer 2

Popular - the majority without political power
Protest - petitioning, revolts, revolutions, riots

Question 3

What were the types of riots?

Answer 3

• socioeconomic over food or grain
• tax riots
• religious riots

Question 4

Why was popular protest so common in early modern Europe?

Answer 4

• massive religious upheaval causes uncertainty
• centralisation/ rise of a nation state causes isolation
• move from feudalism to a marker economy causes competition

Question 5

Socioeconomic riots

Answer 5

• population growth causes pressure on resources, calamity of the Black Death
• harvest failures and shortages
• riots kick off surround market days when community is gathered
• rioters targeted those responsible for food supply

Question 6

Tax Riots

Answer 6

• regular taxation as a new and growing idea, open to change, vulnerable to rumor
• taxes provided an obvious grievance
• taxes provided obvious targets, administrated by middle men

Question 7

Religious Riots

Answer 7

• Natalie Zemon Davis claims they are any violent action with words or weapons, undertaken against religious targets by people who are not acting officially and formally as agents of political and ecclesiastical authority
• are religious riots just socioeconomic riots in a fancy disguise