1 3 1 8 ). ▁With ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁few ▁isolated ▁cases , ▁ser f dom ▁had ▁ceased ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁France ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁In ▁Early ▁Modern ▁France , ▁French ▁nobles ▁never theless ▁maintained ▁a ▁great ▁number ▁of ▁se igneur ial ▁privileges ▁over ▁the ▁free ▁pe as ants ▁that ▁worked ▁lands ▁under ▁their ▁control . ▁Ser f dom ▁was ▁formally ▁abol ished ▁in ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Europe , ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁pe asant ▁revol ts ▁in ▁Cast ille , ▁Germany , ▁northern ▁France , ▁Portugal , ▁and ▁Sweden . ▁Although ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁successful , ▁it ▁usually ▁took ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁before ▁legal ▁systems ▁were ▁changed . ▁ ▁Era ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ▁The ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ▁( 1 7 9 0 s ▁to ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ) ▁saw ▁ser f dom ▁abol ished ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁while ▁its ▁practice ▁remained ▁common ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁for ▁another ▁century ▁or ▁more . ▁In ▁France , ▁ser f dom ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁decl ine ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁centuries ▁by ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁replaced ▁by ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁free hold ▁ten ancy . ▁The ▁last ▁v estig es ▁of ▁ser f dom ▁were ▁officially ▁ended ▁on ▁August ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 7 8 9 ▁with ▁a ▁dec ree ▁abol ishing ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁nob ility . ▁ ▁It ▁removed ▁the ▁authority ▁of