During the Early Middle Ages, peasants were free or semi-free people who worked relatively independently. The peasants lived a hard and moderately simple life, paying their dues to the local lords and later even obtained permission to learn to write and read. According to A Brief History of the Middle Ages, the peasant's lifestyle would soon change forever. Comparing the role of the peasant during the Early Middle Ages and the Early Middle Ages shows a huge difference not only in how the rest of society treats peasants, but also in how peasants see themselves. The High Middle Ages span from c. 400 -1050 when we start calling it the High Middle Ages which lasts from c. 1050 – 1350 (Taylor 1). Although many changes occur to make the transformation from top to top that affects people, it is the gradual change during the early Middle Ages that makes a very clear difference between the peasants of these two time periods. The transformation in the Early Middle Ages for the peasant class involves changes that are mainly negative with only some temporary positive aspects in their social, political and economic position within medieval society. Within the hierarchy in all periods of the Middle Ages the peasantry remained mainly at the lower end of the social food chain. Peasants in the Early Middle Ages were for the most part somewhat independent depending on the lord of their region, "... regional lords – often kings – commanded a portion of the peasants' production and occasionally labor services. .. [while] some peasants… would be tenants or slaves of a lord; others would be independent farmers who owned all or part of the land they cultivated” (Rosenwein 81). far exceeds the protective structure provided by the government and churches. Social standing declined as the importance of being "free" or "unfree" was no longer recognized by the upper class and the term peasant or serf became a difficult position to hold. have. The political position changed completely, moving from a mutual agreement to a government dictating authority. The economic situation temporarily showed a worsening of the quality of life of the peasants, but ended with the same negative result as the other aspects of the. their life. The High Middle Ages transformed the life of peasants into a society controlled by the absolute authority of the government and the church; while the social, political and economic position of the peasants in medieval society overall worsened the quality of life of the peasants in the most negative way possible.