A wealthy individual living in a 14th-century port city owns a ship and a cargo of valuable spices. He hires a group of men to transport these goods across the sea to a foreign market. The men are paid for their labor on the voyage, but the vast majority of the profit from the sale of the spices will go to the owner. This economic relationship is a primary example of the dynamic between...

Comparing 14th-Century Labor Relationships

Match each 14th-century social role to the description that best fits its economic position and obligations.

Determining Social Status in the 14th Century

Common Structures in 14th-Century Economic Hierarchies

In the 14th century, a person's economic standing was more significantly determined by their family's social position within their own society than by the average wealth of the region in which they were born.

Based on the typical social and economic structures of a 14th-century European city, arrange the following individuals in descending order of their status and wealth, from highest to lowest.

While both a 14th-century serf and a sailor occupied lower positions in the economic hierarchy, the serf's status was primarily defined by their bond to the ____, whereas the sailor's was defined by their wage-based labor contract.

Wealth vs. Status in the 14th Century

Consider two common economic relationships in the 14th century: the relationship between a feudal lord and a serf tied to the lord's land, and the relationship between a wealthy merchant and a sailor hired for a specific voyage. What is the most fundamental distinction between the serf's obligation and the sailor's obligation?

Determining Social Status in the 14th Century