The Serfs

Serfdom was a status of many peasants under feudal systems in Europe, particularly from late antiquity through the 19th century, characterized by debt bondage and indentured servitude, yet differing from slavery in that serfs could not be bought or sold individually. Often bound to work on the lord's land in exchange for protection and the right to cultivate their own subsistence, serfdom saw a decline in Western Europe by the late Middle Ages, influenced by events like the Black Death, while it persisted in Eastern Europe until reforms in the mid-19th century. Notable abolitions occurred in various countries, with Russia officially ending serfdom in 1861.

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