 There was aggravation by lower class Italians to the break-up of communal lands which benefited only landlords.Most of the workers on the agricultural lands were not peasants but short-term labourers who at best were employed for one year.Peasants without stable income were forced to live off meager food supplies, disease was spreading rapidly, plagues were reported, including a major cholera epidemic which killed at least 55,000 people.