How To Respond To The Poor Dbq

During the 15th through 17th century, there is no major advancement for the peasants or poor in most of Europe. There are nobles who do not pay taxes, so the peasants are taxed very heavily and lack rights in anything political. Because Europe was very populated by the poor, they were still a major part of the society and many different social classes interacted with them. While religious concerns caused people to respond to the issues of poverty in the period 1450-1700, the responses were mainly shaped by a desire for political and social order by the government, the nobility and wealthy ,and the citizens. The government used regulating the poor as a way to acquire order in their society. In response to poverty, the nobility and wealthy felt

that beggars were a threat, and tried to contain them to maintain social order. The citizens tried to help the poor in an effort to keep them from committing crimes while keeping political order.
In response to the desire to maintain social order, Governmental regulation of the peasantry sought to aid society by providing them work and by creating order within the state. Many monarchs addressed the issues of idleness in the best interests of the state. The poor who were unable to find work could be used for defense and in return they will receive food.(Doc 4) It is important to remember that the French were at war with the Holy Roman Emperor and needed as many soldiers as possible. It shows that a threat to the government is idle people due to the fact that they have nothing to do so it is logical to assume they might revolt. Also since these people were idle the government could easily employ them for the defense of the state for very low pay. Governments created poorhouses for the poor to benefit the state economically and to provide the poor with work. Anyone who breaks the rules of the poorhouse will be punished with a thin diet.(Doc 5) This document was written to maintain order within the poorhouse and its members. The poorhouses in England, although they serve as housing for the poor they also punish them for being idle as that does not benefit the state economically. The system employed of whipping people who entered the poorhouse was used to encourage the idle to find jobs. A lot of these people with no other option often were encouraged and joined the English military. Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, sought to address issues regarding the poor by attempting to prevent idle behaviors. Once the poor start receiving charity they will become idle and of no use.(Doc 3) It’s important to know that the Holy Roman Empire was engaged in war at this time and the emperor desperately needed troops. The responses to the poor was because of the need to retain social order, so the government set regulations for peasants to work.
In order to maintain social and political order, the nobility and wealthy tried their best to contain them, treating them poorly in society.

The wealthy had a very shortsighted opinion on the poor and saw none of their problems in the peasantry. They saw the peasants as living a life of no problems and a carefree life.(Doc 7) Jean Maillefer is a self made man so to him the peasants are simply people who don’t try to improve their circumstance. Instead they simple beg and make their livelihood off of others labor. They did not particularly enjoy these habits of the peasantry. They believed that the poor are a threat to the social order and refrained from providing necessary help.The German Peasants revolt builds the powerful opinion of Nobility, when it came to helping the peasantry. The Noble response to the poor can be considered to be heavily reminiscent of this revolt. The German princes knew that idle men can be very dangerous so often anyone left without work could be employed to make sure everyone was too busy to think about their plight. In order to maintain their social status, and political ideas the nobles continuously stopped the peasants from gaining power, and having them stay

poor.
Citizens responded to the poor by trying to help them in an attempt to keep crime down and maintain order..

The general consensus among people was that the poor are dangerous as they could be forced to commit crimes to stay alive. Despite the fact that many people knew of their duty to the poor, they helped the mostly out of a fear that the poor might steal from them or their families.(Doc 2) Although the communal understanding was to help the poor, some still did in secretive manners as to not attract large amounts of poor people to beg at his doorstep. Rembrandt van Rijn, depicts a man trying give alms to the poor, in a quiet setting.(Doc 6) Although Rembrandt intended to promote the giving of alms, the amount of detail put into the privacy of this event is detrimental. He helps the poor when able but does it privately to not attract the attention of other people that may see him as a target to rob. The citizens tried to keep the crime down, which would help maintain social order throughout much of

Europe.
Although responses to poverty were due to religious reasons, they were more greatly impacted by the government’s, the nobility’s, and the citizens’ desire to mainstream political and social order. While people may argue that the actions done in result of the poor were more because of religious and humanitarian, which there is supporting evidence, there is clearly more support to the foundation of the responses were of political, or social in context. This idea relates to past history when the German peasant revolt started with the rise of Lutheranism, but Luther responded to it politically, telling the German princes to stop the revolts. The peasants were poor compared to the nobles, and clergy, so they tried to revolt against them, but they were politically set down shortly after they started.