From humble beginnings to positions of immense power, feudal lords once ruled the landscape. Their strength stemmed from landownership, upon which they built their influence. They collected taxes and offered protection to subjects, forging a system of dependency. Yet, the very foundations upon which their power rested proved fragile. As societal s

By this point little vineyards and sugar plantations have emerged around Naples and within the island of Sicily with Africans as the key enslaved men and women furnishing the labor on these estates. In 1758, the planters commenced passing laws limiting the rights of other groups of folks right until a rigid caste system was described. Most histori