Slavery vs. Serfdom The difference of impact of serfdom and slavery on the world is a common issue in today's society. Both serfdom and slavery are systems of labor. Each had its own structure and guidelines that enabled then to work at their time in history. Through examination and research it can easily be concluded that slavery has had a greater impact on history then serfdom with its broader range through time and more extravagant consequences.
According to the Webster's dictionary, slavery is defined as, " The most absolute involuntary form of human servitude."ÃÂ The laborers of slavery were titled slaves and could be characterized by certain qualities, including forced labor. Slavery was the system of holding one as a piece of property. A slave was entirely subjected to his or her owner's will. The practice of slavery can be traced back to prehistoric times, however the first institution of its practice was most likely during historic times with the need for help in agricultural advancements.
Scars of a whipped slave (April 2, 1863, Baton Rou...
Perspectives on slavery
Lyle Closs, SlaverySerfdom was a European labor system which was most dominant in the Middle Ages with agricultural workers. Laborers were given the title of serfs which comes from the Latin word, servus, meaning slave. They were legally bound to resign on the land owned by their lord. Serfdom was present in history from the 900's until the mid 1800's..
Slavery was not only accepted, but often essential in many ancient civilizations. An example of this could be shown in the society of the Mesopotamia. Their law system, Hammurabi's code, regards slavery many time such as: "17. If any one find runaway male or female slaves in the open country and bring them to their masters, the master of the slaves shall pay him two shekels of silver."ÃÂ Ancient Greece also extensively used the system of...