The Middle Class (Civ3)/Civilopedia

One of the most important results of the Middle Ages was the beginning of the middle class -- a sector of society made up 
of commoners who were not tied to any particular land and who made their living independently of a lord's sanction. As their 
numbers grew, nobles saw a potential threat to their power, but nothing they did could inhibit the growth of this new social force. The middle class would not play a dominant role in politics until the Renaissance, when artisans and craftsmen were too numerous to ignore. But its medieval origins, particularly in England where the yeoman tradition already provided for certain peasants' partial independence from their lords, laid the groundwork for this foundation of modern society.