Final answer:
Unfree peasants, or serfs were legally bound to their lord's land, faced abuse, provided labor and goods, and had limited rights. Circumstances improved for some after events like the Plague or Tsar Alexander II's abolition of serfdom but remained oppressive for many.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unfree peasants, or serfs, faced numerous restrictions beyond the requirement to work the lands they lived on. They were legally bound to their lord's land, prohibiting them from leaving or changing their vocation without permission. Additionally, serfs could be physically abused by their lord and usually had no rights that the lord was obliged to honor. They were forced to provide both labor and a portion of their produced goods to the lord while having limited if any access to the justice system. Over time, unfree peasants, forced off their land or unable to compete with large estates, could become part of the growing proletariat, having nothing to sell but their labor.
In the aftermath of events like the Plague in Western Europe or the abolition of serfdom by Tsar Alexander II in Russia, conditions for some peasants improved. They gained access to more land and resources, the freedom to seek better wages, and, occasionally, the chance to petition authorities for redress of injustices. However, this was not universally true, and many unfree peasants continued living under oppressive conditions enforced by socio-political structures and the overwhelming power of the nobility.