Europe before Columbus

Feudalism

A hierarchical system that evolved in medieval Europe requiring dependence among nobility and servitude among peasants.

Nobility

The social class at the top of the feudal system, consisting of lords who owned land and held power.

Vassals

Individuals of lower social status who pledged fealty to lords in exchange for land and protection.

Fiefs

Parcels of land and all necessary resources granted by lords to their vassals.

Serfs

Peasants bound to the land they worked, unable to leave or own the land, often treated as property.

Bubonic Plague (Black Death)

A deadly disease that struck Europe in the 14th century, resulting in significant population loss and transformation of the economy.

In-kind taxes

Payments made by serfs to their lords in the form of a portion of their harvest.

Reciprocal relationships

Mutual arrangements where both lords and vassals had obligations to each other.

Hierarchical system

A structure where members are ranked according to social status or authority.

Monetary economy

An economic system based on currency rather than barter, emerging as trade increased in Europe.