Peasants In The Middle Ages

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Adriel Pascual Western Civilization 11/30/11 Life of a Peasant Many different classes of people existed in the Middle Ages. Each class had a certain and very different way of life than the other. Peasants in the Middle Ages especially had extremely difficult lives. The life for peasants during the Middle Ages was faced with many hardships and sacrifices, but in the end they were just everyday citizens doing what they had to in order to survive. In the middle ages, three distinctive kinds of peasants existed: the serfs, slaves and the freemen. Serfs made up only half of the population for peasants. A serf was under the command of his lord and had to abide by his rules. He then contained absolutely no political rights. Alike the serfs,…show more content…
A peasant's home was one story and was made of two to three rooms. Walls were made of either mud or clay, straw covered the roof, and dirt was packed down on the floors. Often a storage house and housing for the animals. Furnishings in the home were seldom. Usually a family owned only a few stools, a table and a chest for storing clothes. Families slept on sacks of straw which they referred to as their beds. In the winter, animals slept inside to be used for warmth. The backbone of medieval society was the farmers. Agriculture was what the whole village's economy was based on. Citizens consumed food produced by the peasant farmers whose wives would join in and help with the harvesting. It was crucial for farmers to realize when it was the right time to harvest. A small fraction of land was given to the peasant's from their lords in exchange for their demanding hours of labor. Regardless, there was a good chance of a peasant not having a sufficient amount of food if it rained alot, therefore the family would starve to…show more content…
Whatever food a peasant was capable of growing was the food he and his family would eat. The majority of food grew included wheat, beans and corn. Furthermore, the most typical food in a peasant's meal was bread. Most clothing was made by the women. It would take women hours of hard work to weave, spin, and dye and sow all of the fabric together. All clothing distinctly set aside for work was produced from rough wool that came from sheep. A woman's clothing was not entirely different from a man's. A woolen dress was clothed over linen underground and, occasionally, they wore a vest on top of the dress to give it a more decorated appearance. Children's clothing was basically the same as the adults. A woolen hat, mittens and cloak spun of sheepskin was designed in order to ensure a shield from harsh winds, rain and, of course, the brutal cold
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