Peasant Life
Peasants worked the land and produced the goods that the lord and his manor needed. This exchange was not without hardship for the serfs. They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of what they harvested. The peasants did not even "belong to" themselves, according to medieval law. The lords, in close association with the church, assumed the roles of judges in carrying out the laws of the manor.
Following 1000, peace and order grew. As a result, peasants began to expand their farms and villages further into the countryside.
Few serfs were left in Europe by the end of the Middle Ages, and the growing burgher (middle) class became very powerful. Hard work and enterprise led to economic prosperity and a new social order. Urban life brought with it a new freedom for individuals.