Demands:
"In making such demands, the embattled
peasants were participating in the general
mood of euphoria that was sweeping
across German lands, in the wake of
Luther's call for reformation." Page 83
Environmental Circumstances:
"In times of famine and plague it became
especially important to control this
permanent underclass of men, women, and
children who begged in the streets and slept
huddled together in slums from which
infectious disease was likely to spread to
the homes of the propertied classes." page 102
Rebellion:
"For hundreds of years, men,
women and children suffered,
fought, and died to defend their
livelihood against the
depredations of the mighty." page 81
Bad Harvests:
"At such times, entire
families took to the roads,
digging up fern roots,
stripping trees of their
bark, eating carrion,
turning to roadside begging
and to crime." page 72
Personal Tragedy:
"The slightest illness condemns their
family to horrible poverty: this is
why our streets, our squares, even
our churches are filled and
covered by beggars." page 107
click here for the significance
of these chosen quotes