1. RESISTANCE AND REBELLION (riot, protest, revolt, revolution)

2. Popular Protest & Revolts and ‘history from below’
Opportunity to hear popular attitudes/ opinions/ concerns
Exceptional moments or accepted means to air grievances? (political role – local, regional, national)
Initiative from above (elite) or from below?
Conservative (return to status quo, ‘golden age’, justice) or radical (demanding change) even revolutionary?

3. Charivari – expression of communal values & customs

4. Popular Rituals & Protest
Skimmington:
Mayhem and clamour
Concerns of the authorities
Mass uprisings and violence vs safety valve
Breakdown of law and order vs public peace
Control of women and youth groups (morality)
Organisation of events to promote royal/civic culture (conformity)

5. Causes of Revolt Grievances Targets/demands
Inflated price or shortage of grain/bread
Increase of established or introduction of new tax (local, regional, national)
Wartime ravages & expense (hike in C17th)
Seizure of common land and other property (Kett)
Local struggle for power between factions e.g. Romans
Attack grain stores & demand fair price
Attack tax collectors & demand reduction/ abolition/redistribution
Demand protection & all pay share
Attack enclosures, demand return
Coup – decided by election sometimes by violence

6. Participants in Revolt
Type of Revolt
participants
All lower orders but notably women
Peasants (direct taxation, gabelle)
Craftsmen
But could join forces when both affected, e.g. by…
When might be joined by nobles
Food prices / scarcity
General rise in taxes
Taxes on trades/goods (e.g. wine, pewter, tobacco, printed paper)
Regional taxes or
Jurisdictional issues

7. Major Early Modern Rebellions
Political
religious
Comuneros (towns) of Castile,
Dutch Revolt, 1566>
Croquants and Nu-Pieds (peasants) in SW France & Normandy, 1630s
Naples, Sicily, Catalonia & Portugal, 1640s
German Peasants’ War,
Tudor Rebellions both pro & anti Reformation, 1530s-60s
Huguenots (Protestants) in France, 1560s-90s
Dutch Revolt, 1566>

8. Religious Riots Church Riot in Scotland The Reformation
Introduced new focus for protest and acts of dissent (‘new wine’?)
abuse of and attacks on preachers/ clergy
iconoclasm (destruction of images)
acts of violence including murder
social & political protest

9. Twelve Articles of the German Peasants 1525
1. Every municipality shall have the right to elect and remove a preacher if he behaves improperly. 2. The preachers shall be paid from the great tithe. Any surplus shall be used to pay for the poor and the war tax. 3. It has been practice so far, that we have been held as serfs, which is pitiful, given that Christ redeemed all of us with his precious blood Therefore, it is devised by the scripture, that we are and that we want to be free. 4. It is unfraternal and not in accordance with the word of God that the simple man does not have the right to catch game, fowls, and fish. For, when God our master created man, he gave him power over all animals. 5. The nobles have taken sole possession of the woods. If the poor man needs something, he has to buy it. All the woods not bought shall be given back. 6. Taxation which keeps increasing from day to day shall be reduced. 7. The nobility shall not raise the peasant's tax. 8. Many properties cannot support their lease fees. Honest men shall inspect these properties and shall determine the levy upon their discretion. 9. Raising fines and arbitrary punishment shall cease. We shall be punished by old, written penalty with regards to what was done and not to favour. 10. Several have appropriated meadows and acres (common land ) that we want back to our common hands. 11. That inheritance tax shall be abolished altogether and never again shall widows and orphans be robbed contrary to God and honour. 12. It is our decision and final opinion that if one or several of the articles mentioned herein were not in accordance with the word of God, those we shall refrain from if it is explained to us on the basis of the scripture.
The First Article. — First, it is our humble petition and desire, as also our will and resolution, that in the future we should have power and authority so that each community should choose and appoint a pastor, and that we should have the right to depose him should he conduct himself improperly. The pastor thus chosen should teach us the Gospel pure and simple, without any addition, doctrine or ordinance of man. For to teach us continually the true faith will lead us to pray God that through His grace this faith may increase within us and become part of us. For if His grace work not within us we remain flesh and blood, which availeth nothing; since the Scripture clearly teaches that only through true faith can we come to God. Only through His mercy can we become holy. Hence such a guide and pastor is necessary and grounded upon the Scriptures.

10. Pilgrimage of Grace 1536

11. Importance of leadership in revolts
Some debate whether people looked to elites to take lead
Frequent reference to enigmatic popular heroes, ‘captains’
Problem identifying role from official accounts
Fear of threat to social order significant
Perceived threat affected response

12. Masaniello - the Revolt of Naples 1647

13. The Fate of Rebels – public execution

14. ‘Success’ of Revolts? Fundamentally conservative
Geographically restricted
Had to make do with ‘weapons of the weak’ vs superior forces
Limited objectives – did not seek to overturn the social or political order (no revolution)
Challenge to/critical of social hierarchy
Regional causes most galvanising
Collective action effective vs elites (Beik – ‘culture of retribution’)
Targeted grievances – concessions often granted, so successful in own terms