Those Hard Working Peasants
Having read a number of historical fiction books over the years, I have been ingrained with the image of peasants toiling sun up to sun down in the fields under the oft-brutal rule of feudal lords.
Not quite, according to Wikipedia:
Annual hours over eight centuries
Year Type of worker Annual hours 13th century Adult male peasant, UK 1620 hours 14th century Casual laborer, UK 1440 hours Middle Ages English worker 2309 hours 1400-1600 Farmer-miner, adult male, UK 1980 hours 1840 Average worker, UK 3105-3588 hours 1850 Average worker, U.S. 3150-3650 hours 1987 Average worker, U.S. 1949 hours 1988 Manufacturing workers, UK 1855 hours 2000 Average worker, Germany 1362 hours
Maybe it wasn’t so bad being a peasant way back when. On the other hand, the work was very seasonal with peak, back-breaking periods of hard labor in when plowing and harvesting. Still, the winters were probably nice.
If, that is, you didn’t die from something smallpox or the Black Plague. Or gangrene from a simple cut. Or any of a thousand other things.
But as for today, look at Germany’s hours. France’s are even lower. Is it any wonder that they have failed to live up to their Kyoto Treaty promises because of their inability to get their economies kick started?
Meanwhile, Korea kicks everybody’s ass. How many Hyundai’s and Kia’s have you seen on the road lately?
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