In Europe between 1000 and 1600 the role of peasants cannot be overlooked. Peasants were essential to maintaining the agricultural and economic standards established by their lords. They were the backbone of society because they became the source from which the food supply would come, supporting themselves and those who held higher power. Due to the high labor demands placed on English and German peasants by authority figures, peasants felt exploited and rebelled. The grievances and aspirations causing these uprisings were similar but nevertheless distinct. As a vital part of society, the peasants felt that the royal government and the church were corrupt, taking advantage of their power to satisfy their wants and needs. Peasants, being skilled workers, performed all the work in society relating to agriculture and cultivation. After the Black Death, the population decreased dramatically, making farmers even more fundamental to the economic and agricultural stability of European society. Everyone from that time became more dependent on them as a food source. Since the higher authority figures live off the work done by the farmers, without them the community itself would not know how to provide for itself. As farmers gained the special skill given in growing crops, those with greater power took advantage of this by increasing their demands. Since the demands of labor from the higher power were incredibly high and reckless, the peasants rebelled by supporting their grievances and hoping that their aspirations would be fulfilled. During these uprisings there were many peasants who rebelled against the corrupt feudal system and the corruption within the Church. The number of farmers involved indicated the high level of...... middle of paper ......the word of God and the Scriptures so the “Twelve Articles of the Peasants” written by German farmers may not have been written. This article was written only because the German peasants felt that the excessive demands and unfair treatment by the lords were not in accordance with the word or will of God. If the Church had not been corrupted, there would not have been so much criticism of the his teachings and how the word of God was projected. In other words, the peasants were significant to European society since they were the ones who maintained economic stability. , supported the social hierarchy and collected all the food supplies to keep the population growing. The excessive demands made the peasants feel exploited and instead of passively accepting they rebelled by expressing their grievances and aspirations against the corrupt royal government and church.