Feudalism Notes

GEOGRAPHY CHALLENGE WHAT’S THE MAJOR
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO MAPS? WHAT IS THE
REASON FOR THIS?

Roman Empire Medieval Europe

THE MIDDLE AGES
From
the Fall
of the
Roman
Empire
to the
year
1450

WHAT'S SO MIDDLE ABOUT THE MIDDLE
AGES?
The Middle Ages
The Dark Ages
Medieval Period

Feudalism Renaissance
Crusades
Black Death
begins in Italy
Castles
Knights/ Chivalry
Magna Carta

476 1400

No more unity in Europe
after the Romans

HOW WELL DID FEUDALISM ESTABLISH ORDER IN
EUROPE IN THE MIDDLE AGES?
 Fall of the Roman Empire= beginning of the Middle
Ages

 Early Middle Ages:
 Survival was hard
 Lots of invasions and starvation

 People needed:
 Food
 Protection

WHAT IS FEUDALISM?
 People pledge loyalty
to a lord in exchange
for protection
 Oath of Fealty

 Knights fought to
protect their lords

 Peasants worked the
land for food

WESTERN EUROPE DURING THE MIDDLE
AGES
 For 500 years, much of
Europe was under Roman
control and protection

 After the fall of Rome,
Europe was left with no
central government or
system of defense

 Many groups began to fight
with each other- the
strongest were the Franks

CHARLEMAGNE'S EMPIRE
 One of the strongest leaders
of the Franks
 Used knights on horseback;
gave knights land in return for
their protection
 United Europe under a
Christian empire
 Worked with the Pope

 Helped prepare the way for
feudalism by providing knights
with land as a payment

A NEED FOR ORDER AND PROTECTION
 Europeans
threatened by:
 Muslims in Spain
 Tribes from Asia
 Vikings from Norway
and Denmark

A NEED FOR ORDER AND PROTECTION
 Europeans
threatened by:
 Muslims in Spain
 Tribes from Asia
 Vikings from Norway
and Denmark
 People from the North
who made quick raids
on European villages

MONARCHS DURING FEUDAL TIMES
 Monarchs believed in the
“divine right of kings,” which
meant that God gave them
the right to rule.

 William defeated his cousin
Harold and established a line
of Norman kings in
England, bringing feudalism
with him. Feudalism brought
stability and order to England.

LORDS AND LADIES DURING FEUDAL TIMES
 Lords:
 responsible for managing
and defending their manors
and acting as judges. They
fought for their own lords in
times of war, and supplied
soldiers. They also
appointed officials.

 Noblewomen:
 responsible for raising and
training their children and
sometimes the children of
other noble families. They
were also responsible for
overseeing their large
households.

KNIGHTS DURING FEUDAL TIMES
 Steps to Knighthood:
 started training for knighthood
by becoming a page, where he
learned skills, such as
horseback riding and singing.
 After seven years, he became
a squire and learned how to
fight as a warrior. A deserving
squire was made a knight in
his early 20s at a special
ceremony.
 Knights were the mounted
soldiers in the feudal system
and were expected to be loyal
to their Church and lord, to be
fair, and to protect the
helpless.

EXAMPLE CODE OF CHIVALRY
 I promise to be loyal to the Church and my lord. I
will be just and fair and protect the helpless. When
possible, I will perform acts of gallantry and I will
show respect to women.

PEASANTS DURING MEDIEVAL TIMES
 Most peasants worked at raising
crops and tending livestock.
Some worked as
carpenters, shoemakers, and
smiths. Peasants paid taxes to
lords.

 The daily lives of peasants
revolved around work. They had
to pay numerous taxes. They
were required to grind their
grain at the lord’s mill and the
miller kept grain for the lord and
for himself. They lived in small
homes with few possessions.
Serfs were bound to the manor
and couldn’t leave without
permission.

Feudalism Notes

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Feudalism Notes