Title: Where Luther Got It Wrong: The Peasants' Revolt - Way To LEAD
Headings: Where Luther Got It Wrong: The Peasants’ Revolt
Where Luther Got It Wrong: The Peasants’ Revolt
Content: Sometimes the lands belonged to monasteries, so the landowners were prince-abbots. Peasants who questioned practices that smacked of extortion would be reprimanded, deprived of property, accused of larceny, or in some cases excommunicated. Tensions increased as peasants protested. Mercenaries would be sent in to plunder uppity villages. In 1524 a few unrelated skirmishes flared up. In Stülingen, in the middle of the harvest, the Countess of Lupfen ordered her serfs to collect snail shells to use as thread spools. Over a thousand peasants gathered, formed a committee and drew up a list of complaints. Other concurrent events blended into a large scale revolt running across southwest Germany. In time they formed a confederation and drew up the Twelve Articles, stating their cause. They wanted to elect their own pastors.