Download Chapter 1 Notes: The Medieval Feudal System Political Factors

Chapter 1 Notes: The Medieval Feudal System
Political Factors
Feudal Hierarchy (p. 18)
During the Middle Ages, much of European Society was organized in a system called ________.
Feudalism was a hierarchy where people are ranked one above another according to their
__________. People were born into a level of feudal society and expected to stay there for their
______ lives.
Feudalism was based on land, _______ and duty. Nobles or knights (Barons) swore oaths of
__________ to the king (the Crown) and promised to fight for him in exchange for the rights to
pieces of land called manors or _____.
Bishops had as much power as Barons. They received land from the Crown, and over time, the
Church became a large _________. As a result, the Church was very important to the medieval
people in their _________ lives (as landowners) as well as their _________ lives.
Most people in the Middle Ages were peasants who lived in rural ________ on a manor (land
held by a baron).
Feudal Hierarchy Chart (complete the chart)
________
________________
__________________________
____________________________________
The nobility and clergy held most all the land and power in feudal society, yet they made up
only about __________ of the population.
Social Factors
Country Life (p. 18-19)
Peasants were assigned strips of land to _____ and _______. However, the peasants worked
____________ on such tasks such as plowing and haying. Under the manorial system, in
exchange for the use of land, the peasants had to turn over to the noble a portion of what they
_________. They were expected to build roads, clear forests, and do any other work the lord
ordered. Men, women and __________ worked from sunrise to sunset.
Peasants were illiterate and __________ and the manor was usually the limit of their
experience. Some were freemen who rented land or worked for _____. Most, however, were
serfs who were not allowed to leave without the lord’s __________. When they did travel, they
rarely went farther than the ____________.
Town Life (p. 22)
Most medieval towns were centres for farm ___________. They usually grew up close to a
castle, ______ or monastery. Stone walls would be built around the town to protect against
rival cities or ____. Local goods and goods brought from other countries were available in ____.
Towns were crowded, dirty, ____________ places but offered freedom and new opportunities.
People had the freedom to do as they wished, marry whom they pleased, and make _____ as
they could. According to the law, runaway serfs could gain their freedom by staying in a town
for a ____________ without being discovered. Peasants who were good at making things could
open a ________. Unskilled peasants could learn a trade. Others worked for wealthy merchants
as servants and __________.
Religion (p. 31)
People during the Middle Ages thought of the world in terms of ___________. Every group in
the Church hierarchy had a duty to be _________ to the group above it and to provide services
to the group below. Priests performed religious services for members of their ______________
(baptizing, marrying, teaching prayers and leading services). Members of the congregation had
to obey the ______ of the Church, respect the priest’s authority and pay him a tithe.
The Pope
The Church Hierarchy
Archbishops
Bishops
Priests
Parishioners
Cathedrals (p. 31)
The Middle Ages was a great time of church ________. As part of this, many cathedrals were
built all over Europe. Bishops and citizens took great pride in their local cathedral and there was
___________ to see which city could produce the tallest, most beautiful building. People would
pour their money and labour into its ____________. Hundreds of skilled craftspeople such as
masons, ____________ and workers in stained glass were involved. The heavy work of
construction was done by _____ and peasants.
Monasticism (p. 32)
If you were a deeply religious person, you might decide to join a ______________ and devote
your entire life to God. Men became monks and entered __________. Women became nuns
and entered ________. Here they lived their lives studying religious texts, praying and working.
They also grew and __________ food for the order, taught children, cared for the sick and the
poor, and fed the _______.
Economic Factors
Guilds (p. 23)
Production of goods and trade was organized by __________ organization called guilds that
controlled the prices of goods, set standards of _______ and decided who would be admitted
to the craft as a trainee or __________. Guilds also took care of members and families in case
of illness or ________. Children as young as eight or nine went to live and work for a master to
learn a trade. After years of ________ they would take a test to become a journeyman and be
admitted to the guild. Years later, after more study and practice, they would become _______.
They could then open their own ________ and take on apprentices.
Time and Money (p. 26)
As towns grew and life on the manor changed, _____ came into use more and more. As a
result, people began to think of time ____________ (time is money). In the early medieval
period, people’s activities were ruled by the ________________ of the sun and changing
seasons. Knowing time was not terribly important. Later, as shopkeepers, merchants and
business people in towns became more _________ on time mechanical clocks were being built.
Wealth (p. 27)
With the rise of towns, society became less _____. By acquiring wealth and skills, urban people
had some ___________ to move up from one social level to another and a new social ________
began to emerge.
The New Social Structure (complete the chart)
Top Level: Aristocracy
High Church officials
Middle Level: Middle Class
Merchants and business
people
Bottom Level: Lower Class
Rural labourers
Old noble families
Servants
Priests and lower Church
officials
Consumption (p. 27)
The power and social position of wealthy merchants and the new middle class was based on
_____ rather than on _______________. These people were eager to buy the goods in towns.
People became more focused on enjoying material __________ and displaying their wealth
through the clothing they wore, the furniture and __________ in their homes, and the meals
they served.
People’s desire for luxury goods like ______ fabrics was one of the factors that led to the
_________ of trade outside Europe. This desire also led to the introduction of sumptuary laws.
Catalyst for Change
Although the feudal system lasted for hundreds of years, it began to weaken and finally
disappeared. A few reasons have already been described (increase in wealth, new social
structure and consumption). However, some major events occurred that led to this breakdown.
War and Peasant Revolts (p. 24-25)
Beginning in 1337, war broke out between England and ______. It lasted more than a century
and came to be called “____________________.” The endless fighting devastated the
countryside. Peasants in both countries revolted because of the high rents and _____ they paid
to finance the war. Peasants’ banded together and killed nobles and ______ manors. Both
rebellions were brutally put down by the __________, but the causes of the peasants’ unrest
were not resolved.
Attitudes Toward Religion (p. 34)
People began to take a critical ________ toward the Church. The Church was wealthy; it owned
one-third of the land in Europe and the rent was __________. The Church also collected money
in tithes. In addition it received large sums from the estates (property after death) of wealthy
members. Like the newly wealthy merchant class, some of the ______ got caught up in the
enjoyment of the _________. Critics said that they were more interested in ________ living
than in spiritual values.