During the early modern era, political power in Switzerland solidified around the 13 original cantons of the confederation—Bern, Zürich, Zug, Glarus, Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, and Appenzell. The period was marked by the growing dominance of patrician families, many of whom came from guild leaders, merchants, or former mercenaries. Over time, these families consolidated control, with seats on city councils becoming increasingly hereditary. Although the councils originally invited public input, especially during the Reformation, the tradition of citizen assemblies largely faded as patricians tightened their grip on power.
Seats on city councils, which had traditionally turned over due to plagues, wars, or religious conflicts, became lifetime positions with limited vacancies by the 17th century. Families that held power filled the councils with their relatives, and wealthier villages came under the authority of neighboring towns for protection from immigration and rising populations. By the 18th century, fewer than 70 of Bern’s original 360 burgher families retained any political influence, though new families could occasionally join the patrician ranks if they were wealthy and successful.
During the Ancien Régime, Switzerland’s nobility expanded their authority, becoming nearly absolute rulers. Meanwhile, the population faced declining influence, rising taxes, tensions between rural and urban communities, and religious disputes, all of which sparked uprisings and conflicts across the Confederation.
Economic Strains and Rebellions
While Switzerland avoided the direct devastation of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), the postwar period brought economic hardship. During the war, Swiss cities had prospered by selling supplies to neighboring countries, and mercenary pensions from France and Spain boosted local economies. However, peace brought an end to these payments, trade with Germany slowed, and Swiss peasants who had taken out loans during the war found themselves unable to repay their debts. Simultaneously, cities faced new expenses for defensive fortifications, prompting authorities to raise taxes and mint copper Batzen coins, which quickly lost value compared to silver currency. The resulting inflation and tax burden sparked revolts across several cantons.
Between 1629 and 1646, tax uprisings occurred in Lucerne, Bern, and Zürich. In 1653, the largest of these revolts, the Swiss Peasant War, erupted as peasants in territories ruled by Lucerne, Bern, Solothurn, and Basel resisted currency devaluation and rising taxes. Although the authorities crushed the rebellion, they introduced tax reforms to prevent further unrest. The conflict also helped prevent the emergence of an absolutist regime, keeping Switzerland decentralized in contrast to other European states.
Regional Uprisings and Resistance
Throughout the 18th century, revolts continued in different parts of the confederation. In 1707, unrest in Geneva reflected long-standing tensions between local elites and the population. Other regions followed suit, with the Werdenberg rebellion (1719–1722) challenging Glarus, and minor uprisings flaring up in Bern (1749) and Uri (1755).
In 1781, the Chenaux Uprising erupted in Fribourg, as rural populations rebelled against the city’s patrician rulers. Although ultimately unsuccessful, these revolts reflected the growing frustration with aristocratic dominance, setting the stage for future political changes as the pressures of inequality, religious divisions, and economic hardship continued to build.