Peasant Life in the Middle Ages

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Recommended: Three main social classes of the middle ages

The Peasants life journey, through the Middle Ages was tough. The life of a peasant was hard and not easy or respected. A peasant’s work was never appreciated by the high social classes. Peasant life should be acknowledged for the work and impact it had on British History.
The peasants of the middle ages were farmers, servants, and carpenters. They would work all jobs to provide for their family. According to Dianne Zarlengo “Their class formed the economic back bone for the society” (10). Peasants were not able to choose the life they wanted to live. “Even though the burdened peasant class largely accepted their harsh life as a way to cleanse their souls and help pave the way to eternal salvation, peasants revolted occasionally” (Zarlengo 13). Most people were born into the peasant life and from there their lives became very harsh.
The social order peasants were in showed they were considered worthless. They were below every social class of this time. “The peasant class was the lowest rung on the medieval social ladder” (Zarlengo 11). Since their social order was at the bottom, upper classes did not respect them too much. “Even though the peasants provided the labor that enabled the society to survive, they were often scorned by the wealthier classes” (Zarlengo 10). Even though the peasants were in a lower class they were still able to supply the needs for their family.
The daily life of a peasant was extremely difficult. Many worked as farmers on the fields owned by wealthier land owners. They would overwork themselves with no pay. According to Earle Jr. Rice “Peasants worked the lord’s land for two or three days a week and their own land for the remainder of the week” (35). Peasant’s life dealt with working and paying for ever...

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...not have been able to go on and operate without the help of the peasants and this why the peasant life has to be acknowledged in British History.

Works Cited

Gorman, Benjamin. "Medieval Life: Squires, Maidens and Peasants." Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. N.p.. Web. 6 Feb 2014.
Jones, Dan. "The Peasants’ Revolt, 1381." History Today 59.6 (2009): n.pag. Web. 6 Feb 2014.
Jones, Stefanie Dion. "Historian Reconstructs Everyday Lives of Medieval Peasants ." UCONN Today (2009): n.pag. Web. 6 Feb 2014.
Lambert, Tim. "Daily Life In The Middle Ages." A World History Encyclopedia. 2014.
“Medieval Realms." British History. N.p.. Web. 6 Feb 2014.
“Medieval Realms;Rural Life." British Library. N.p.. Web. 5 Feb 2014.
Rice , Earle Jr. Life Middle Ages . San Diego: Lucent Books, 1998. Print.
Zarlengo, Dianne. Living in the Middle Ages. San Diego: Bonnie Szumski, 2004. Print.

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