Why did the growth of trade and industry weaken feudalism?

Peasants left manors for towns where they could find work
The rise of a merchant class weakened the power of monarchs
Feudal manors switched from agriculture to manufacturing
Agriculture stopped being profitable because merchants imported food.

1 answer

The growth of trade and industry weakened feudalism primarily because peasants left manors for towns where they could find work. As trade and industry expanded in medieval Europe, towns began to grow, attracting people from rural areas, including peasants. This migration was driven by the desire for better economic opportunities and the potential for increased social mobility, which undermined the traditional feudal system that relied on a largely agrarian workforce tied to the land.

The other options may have some merit in discussing the broader context of the decline of feudalism, but the movement of peasants to towns in search of work was a critical factor that directly challenged the feudal structure by reducing the population of laborers tied to manorial estates and fostering the growth of a new economic order based on trade and industry.

Similar Questions
  1. Q: Why did the growth of trade and industry weaken feudalism?A: Peasants left manors for towns where they could find work. Q:
    1. answers icon 25 answers
    1. answers icon 8 answers
  2. Why did medieval towns offer more freedom than manors?(1 point) Responses Towns had no church officials. Towns had no church
    1. answers icon 1 answer
    1. answers icon 31 answers
more similar questions