Copy Of DBQ Essay

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Revised DBQ The causes of the peasant revolts in the German states were religious conflicts such as the misinterpretations of Luther's teachings and social issues, such as their mistreatment by nobles under serfdom. Responses included allowing peasants to be released from serfdom for money to condemning them and everyone who took part.
Documents 1,3, and 6 show how religion was one of the causes of the revolts. In 1525,
Leonard Van Eck explained how the religious doctrines were used and how they became the source of the social class conflict. (Doc.1) The peasants were blinded by their thirst for freedom so they used religious doctrines like the Words of God, the Gospel, and brotherly love to excuse their irrational behavior. Being a noble, Van Eck is biased to think that the peasants were
“blinded, led astray, and made witless” because of the sayings of religious doctrines. While the peasants’ reasonings spanned from Luther’s teachings, they were fighting for their freedom since serfdom was seen as unfair because of their mistreatment under noble rule. They were not witless, they were educated enough to know that what was taking place was inhumane.
(POV)
A peasant himself confirmed Van Eck’s observation: The “Articles of the Peasants of
Memmingen” which was written from the Peasant Parliament of Swabia the Memmingen Town
Council, stated that Christ had redeemed them with His precious blood and how they are still willing to obey religious authority, but they think that the lords should release them from serfdom because it is God’s will. (Doc. 3) The peasants expressed all their religious basis for much of their grievances. In this article written by the peasants of Memmingen, they explain how they feel that they are equal to the Emperor because Christ had redeemed and purchased them like He did the Emperor. Since they were peasants, they did not dare demand to be released from serfdom, but rather gave the authorities the option to do so.
(POV)
A German pastor referred to the revolts as “God’s will” in a letter to the people of Allstedt and talked about how they should join the cause. (Doc. 6) Thomas Müntzer’s letter revealed how religious ideology had gone into the peasants’ thirst for equality. Since he was a theologian and preacher, he had religious ideology and supported the way the peasants were acting out because the revolts were “God’s will.” The second cause of the uprisings was the want for social equality. These causes can be found in documents 2 and 8. A document from the peasants called the
Twelve Articles of the
Swabian Peasants stated how the peasants should not have to work more than what is asked and how they deserved to be more free when it comes to their labor. (Doc. 2) The peasants’ demand
“suitable compensation” for all their duties provided by them for their lords. These peasants came together to write twelve articles and explain how they thought their lives and labor should be more tangible and not up to their superiors. Of course they would perceive it as unfair because they are the ones doing all the work, and getting little to nothing out of it.
(POV)
In Lorenz
Fries’s secret report, he reports that the peasants’ want of wealth equality. (Doc. 8) These peasants had a right for economic equality. They earned their money through work and labor, but

received nothing. This secret report was able to capture the true desires of the peasants. They thought of themselves as brothers with the people in other classes and thought that they should share their wealth since most won their economic status through the poor.
(POV)
The sympathetic responses to these rebellions laid in documents 4 and 5. In the
Memmingen Town Council’s response to the
Articles of the Peasants of Memmingen, they told