Back to 1618 there was a strong peasants’ revolt and later the inhabitants of the area were in the ranks of the Battle of the monk Sofronie from Cioara. The uprising began in Hunedoara County in the fall of 1759 and it spreads fast in the neighboring county of Alba. The Sofronie was caught, but then he was freed from the mutineers and the riot encompasses Zarandul and all of Southern Transylvania. The center of the movement moved to the Apuseni Mountains, where the complaints of the ~moti~ due to heavy bonds to the IRS and the ingradient of the right to the ~Pădurit~(forestry) were general.
In April 1760, Sofronie entered Zlatna at the head of a large crowd of mutineers. His other troups occupyed Abrud and Campeni. The peasants counted as masters in the situation, declaring that “the power of gentlemens passed, now we are the Masters.”
Both the local authorities and the Vienna Court were extremely concerned that the spark alight by religious reasons would transform into great blaze with social and national tempt. Then, Sofronie himself feared of the vast extent of his movement. In this tensioned context, the negotiations he had with the representatives of the Court in Vienna led to the liquidation of the rebellion. Many participants were caught and werw severely punished. The great rebellion ended in the spring of 1761. Although the Orthodox Church was formally recognized by the Vienna Court, the popular movements will not cease, because the real causes that provoked them remained.The popular movements that will not cease will culminate in the second half of the 18TH century with the great rebellion led by Horea, Closca and Crisan. Later, Horea was the spokesperson for the inhabitants of the “upper land”, sending in Vienna numerous letters for the peasants to be exempted from the unbearable duties that put a great amount of pression on them, just before the great rebellion from 1784.
The incident on May 24, 1782, at the Spring Fair in Campeni, was the signal for the outbreak of the great rebellion later on. Thus, ~motii~ were banned and the right to unfold the environment – a traditional ~motesc~ drink. Armenian tenants confiscated their liquor, but ~motii~ broke the tenants ‘ liquor pots. The authorities ‘ investigation and the actions taken were extremely harsh. Thus, a damage of 8700 florins was established- a huge amount for that time and 18 peasants were sentenced to death, amoungst which the Octogenary Dumitru Todea.
In 1784 the rebellion burst, the Cimpeni city became the center of this movement. Since November, Horea has established Cimpeni as headquarters, where he led with the help of Closca and Crisan and other trustworthy people the hostilities against the oppressor authorities. It should be noted that the outbreak of the great rebellion led by Horea, also contributed the decree issued by the Emperor of Austria Joseph on 31 January 1784, on the voluntary registration of villages in the vicinity of the military border, which was interpreted by peasants as Referring to the whole country. On the occasion of the Fair from Brad, on October 28, 1784, Gheorghe Crisan, from the order of Horea, calls from each village 4-5 men in October 31 st at Mesteacan. Those gathered men will go to Alba Iulia to enroll volunteers. There were about 600 peasants. Arriving in Curechiu, authorities tried to spread them out and in order to catch Crisan. Thus, after the 1st of November 1784, the uprising burst with power at Curechiu, the Cimpeni city gladly receives the mutineers songs of Horea. The archives of the noble people were destroyed and the closed ~moti~ were released .
At Tibru, on 12 November, the armistice between Closca and Imperial Colonel Schultz ends. The peasants demanded that they no longer be serfs and enrolled in the army and the imprisoned people to be freed from jails. It is known that the last attempts of the peasants resistance were defeated at Abrud, Cimpeni and Albac.
On December 27, Horea and Closca were caught in the forest of the Scoracet in the Gilaului Mountains and on 30 January 1785 Crisan was caught at Sasa – LUPSA. The three valiant leaders were bound in chains in Alba Iulia.
To Cimpeni, on November 21st 1784, the plan of Vice Colonel Schultz to catch the mutineer’s heads came apart. Also here, between 7 and 14 December 1784, Horea with his followers, opposed the Imperial armies, after which Horea would retire to ALBAC.
The inhabitants of Cimpeni were active participants in other more marked historical events, before the revolution of 1848. Thus, in 1819 they stood up against more pressing tasks placed by the authorities on them and against being recruited for the Imperial army.
Campeni became the center of the Romanian revolution in 1848 in Transylvania. Here, Craisorul Avram Iancu has created a real “peasant Republic”, led by him with the support of his prefects. At a meeting in April 1848, Iancu participated along Buteanu and Balint. He sat down at Cimpeni the camp of the revolution, being appointed prefect of mountain legions. Military camp was located in the western part of Campeni.
The revolutionaries from the Romanian country, amoung whom in place of great honor was Nicolae Balcescu, were welcomed to Campeni. In this city they stood up and fought alongside Iancu, the Tribunes Mihai Andreica, Clemente Aiudeanu, Nicolae Corches and Ion Sulutiu.
After the defeating of the revolution and up until his death, Avram Iancu was always welcomed at Cimpeni as a hero of all the Romanians in Transylvania. As a sign of the eternal remembrance and honour for the Great patriot, in Campeni in the market that bears the name “The mountains King”, his equestrian statue rises. The statue is the work of the sculptor Dimitriu Barlad, made in 1930 in Targu Mures. In 1940, the statue was moved to Cimpeni as a result of the odious Diktat in Vienna.
After the revolution of 1848, the great events in the history of the Romanians, such as the Union of the principalities of 1859 and the War of independence from 1877-1878, were received with great joy and vivid interest in the country of Motilor and especially in Campeni. This is where it was born a committee led by Ion Patitia and Mihai Adreica who collected money, food and clothing for the Romanian Army’s wounded.
Also in Cimpeni took place, in 1981, manifestations in support of the memordum movement and a National Guard led by Zosim Chirtop was created here in 1918 , who was called by the National Council of Alba Iulia to ensure the best conditions of the Great National Union, from Alba Iulia, on 1 December.