Serf

This page is under construction by Shivam-GMS **__ History __** Serfs worked very hard every single day. Serfs worked on a lord’s property while still paying him to use his land. Serfs can only be sold with the land which makes them different from slaves. Serfdom is when serfs are forced to do work they got safety and the ability to work on the fields. Serfdom went to Europe from the Roman Empire at about the 10th century (“Serfdom”). In 1350, the worker deficiency caused peasants to get more money because of the black death.Then in the 14th and 15th centuries the peasants got the ability to not always have to do what their lord told them to do (“serfdom”).

**__Daily Life__** Lords usually kept 25% to 33% of the land. The rest of the land was given to all of the serfs. Serfs worked about 3 days per week. Serfs had to work hard to use the land. For the most part the serfs worked until the night. Men farmed while the women made clothing, cooked, grew vegetables, and gathered fire wood. Even the children worked (Burstein, and Shek). Serfs always had to listen to what his or her lord said every single day. Lords even taxed the serfs even though they had to do hard work. To be able to reside, there they had to compensate their lord. They even paid to ground wheat on the lord’s mill. Lords made sure that they did not overwork the serfs to a great extent that they would want to leave (Alchin). Europe was based on feudalism that goes by the distribution of land for the king’s services. Nobles had 10% of Europe's population while serfs (peasants) had 90% (Luther). Feudalism ranked in order of king, bishops, barons, lords, and peasants. Kings depended on barons to supply soldiers and knights. Bishops had as much power as the barons. Barons had the most money and power as any other noblemen. Barons gave land to friends and allies to make nobility. To have nobility they had to pay taxes, pledge loyalty to the king, and acknowledge the king. The lord rented most of his land to peasants ("The Feudal Society of the Middle Ages"). Peasants usually worked on the land. Some peasants would fight their way to be free while others did not.
 * __ Feudalism __**[[image:84renaissancenotes/feudal-system.gif width="200" height="267" align="left" caption="Feudalism pyramid in the middle ages"]]
 *  __Becoming__ **__**Free **__

Serfs had barely anything in their possession. They had things such as a small house, a plot of land, shared fields, and a few animals. As the population decreased there became less and less serfs. Some had escaped while others revolted. Other lords thought it would be better to just pay the serfs. In the end the serfs gained their freedom. After they became free they sold everything and left the land ("Serf").

**__Works Cited __** Alchin, Linda. "Serfs." www.lordsandladies.org. N.p., 20 Sep 2012. Web. 10 Jan 2014. . (Alchin)

Burstein, Stanley, and Richard Shek. "Peasants, Serfs, and Other Workers." World History. Austin: 2006. (Burstein, and Shek )

Luther, Daisy. "Serfdom and the Feudal System: What’s Old is New Again." Activist Post. N.p., 01 Jan 2013. Web. 11 Jan 2014. . (Luther)

"Serf." World Book. 17. Chicago: 2001. ("Serf" )

"Serfdom." Academic Kids. N.p., 20 Jun 2005. Web. 11 Jan 2014. . ("Serfdom")

"serfdom." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 11 Jan 2014. . ("serfdom")

"The Feudal Society of the Middle Ages." Camelot International: Britain's Heritage and History. N.p.. Web. 11 Jan 2014. . ("The Feudal Society of the Middle Ages")