Causes Of American Rebellion

“The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion,” stated Frederick Douglas, a former slave and abolitionist. European peasants of the middle ages also knew first-had the suffering that leads to rebellion. Peasants rebelled against nobles, kings, and even the clergy, in order to reform and reorder society. The oppression of feudalism was widespread. As the valley between the rich and the poor began to expand, peasants revolted. Merriam-Webster defines a revolt as: “acting in a way that shows you do not accept the control or influence of someone or something.” European peasants took their oppression and formed a bond that would ultimately lead to the reformation of their society through insurgency. European peasants were born into conditions that paralleled …show more content…
The longest-running, and perhaps the most famous, was led by Stepan (Stenka) Razin. He strategically rallied peasant supporters around him, promising them riches and power. Razin led Coaascks from the Don River settlements to the Volga River with the intent to rob and pillage. With his 5,000 supporters at his back, he set off for Tsaritsyn. “Stenka immediately had the wretched governor hanged.” It was common for peasants to kill the primary leader of a particular region because it inflicted fear upon the rest of the leaders. Another instance of peasant violence occurred in Savoy. Located in the territory of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in northern Italy. Savoy was home to a Chateau that would later be seized by peasants. “A band of about 150 persons, armed…arrived at the Chateau.” The peasants pushed on the door of the Chateau so hard it bust open. The men were determined to burn the terriers, surveys that showed land ownership. Therefore, if these records were destroyed, it would be unclear which seigniors’ dues were owed. The peasants were successful in the endeavor and burned the terriers, therefore freeing them from their