Middle Ages Regents Practice Exam 2025 - Free Regents Practice Questions and Study Guide

One significant result of manorialism was the development of self-sufficient local economies. Manorialism was the system that dominated the medieval European socio-economic structure, where a lord's estate, known as a manor, encompassed not just the agricultural land but also the village and the serfs who worked it. Each manor aimed to produce most of the goods needed for daily life, leading to a decreased reliance on trade with distant urban centers.

This self-sufficiency is evident in the way that manors operated. Serfs worked the land and provided labor, while the lord provided protection and a degree of governance in return. Manors typically included farms, workshops, and all the necessary services to support the resident population, minimizing the need for external resources. As a result, local economies became enclosed and insulated, reinforcing the feudal structure where manorial lords exercised significant control over their lands and the people living on them. This characteristic of manorialism fundamentally shaped the social and economic landscape of medieval Europe, influencing how communities functioned during the period.