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Chapter 12—Feudalism

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When You Think Of Feudalism And The Middle Ages…

What Do You Think Of?

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After The Fall Of The Roman Empire

• Large kingdoms were divided up into smaller territories.

• The smaller territories were owned and controlled by nobles.

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Feudalism—a way of living in which peasants and farmers depended on land-owning nobles rather than a king for protection.

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Peasants and Farmers

Got: Gave:Protection from enemies and invaders

Services to the noble—the skills they possessed (blacksmith, etc)

Could live on the noble’s land

Fought for (defended) the noble and his land

A portion of the crops they grew for the lord

Freedoms—to marry, own property, leave

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Feudalism Was Based On Loyalty And Duty Among Nobles

Nobles—were both lords and vassals

(But a vassal served a lord)

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Vassals

• In return for fighting in the lords army the vassal got land.–The vassal's land was called a

“fief.”–The vassal ruled all the people

who lived on his fief.–Vassals were Knights!

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The Manor

• The fiefs owned by a lord made up the lord’s manor.

• The lord ruled his manor. Peasants were allowed to live on the manor (on the fiefs).

• Some peasants were free…some weren’t.

• Serfs were peasants who were not free.

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Serfs

• Serfs needed the lords permission to:–Leave the manor–Get married–Own his own property

• But Serfs were not slaves—they could not be bought or sold.

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More About Serfs…

• Serfs worked long hours

• They had to work three days a week for the lord..

– The rest of the week they worked for themselves.

• They had to give a portion of their crops to the lord

• If a serf ran away to a city, he would be free in one year.

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How Did Farming Improve?

• Several inventions improved farming:

– Heavy wheeled plow• Planting in hard soil was not easier

– Horse collar• Allowed horses to pull plows

– River and wind powered mills• Grain could not be easily ground into meal

– Crop rotation• Fields could produce more crops

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How Did Nobles Live?

• Knights followed a Code of Chivalry– A guide for good behavior

• When noblemen went to war, his family went to live in the castle for protection.

• The castle offered protection and met all of daily living needs.– Bedrooms, toilets, food storage,

chapels, etc.

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What Was Peasant Life Like?

• Homes were very simple– Wood framed, plastered walls with clay, straw

roofs, dirt floors.

• Worked year-round– Harvest in September, plant in early summer

• Women worked in the field and raised children at the same time

• Diets were simple– Bread, vegetables, milk, nuts, fruits

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Trade and Cities

• When the Roman Empire collapsed, trade stopped, money wasn’t used, roads deteriorated, people didn’t travel, crime rose.

• About A.D. 1100 feudalism made Europe safer—travel and trade improved.

• Towns grew—travel and trade too

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How Were Cities Governed?

• At first laws were made by the lords who owned the land

• Paying certain taxes gave some more rights to trade and travel than others

• Over time, towns began to choose their own town councils

–Usually the wealthiest and most powerful

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Craft Guilds

• Guilds were “business associations.”

• Most crafts/skills formed a guild

• Guilds set standards for the quality of work

• Guilds also decided on what prices goods and services should sell for

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City Life

• Buildings were crowded together

• Streets were narrow and unpaved

• There was no running water and no sewers!

• Disease and sickness was common

• Air pollution

• Many women became self-sufficient when they also joined craft guilds

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Quick Review…

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