1. Chapter 10, Lesson 2 Feudalism and the Rise of Towns
It Matters Because:
The organization of society in medieval Europe affected nearly every aspect of people’s lives.

2. I. The Feudal System
A. Feudalism rose from need for protection from Viking invasion
1. Nobles collected taxes, governed & protected people living on their land
2. People provided service in return, such as fighting in the army or farming
B. By 1000, hundreds of feudal territories existed, but few nations
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3. I. The Feudal System C. Feudalism depended on loyalty, sense of duty
Lords owned land, had political power
a. Lord - high-ranking noble & owner of land
2. Vassal - lower-ranking nobles who served a lord
D. A vassal took an Oath of Fealty (loyalty) to his lord
1. In return for service, vassal received land from his lord
2. Vassal’s land was known as a fief

4. II. Nobles and Knights
A. Before days of Kings, lords were most powerful men in Europe
B. Knights were low-ranking vassals
1. Knight – Noble warrior who fought on horseback
C. Knights served lords to defend society
1. Received fief in exchange for protection & military service Followed Code of Chivalry - knights must be brave, obey lord, & defend the church
3. Knights trained for war by competing in tournaments - tests of strength and skill

5. III. The Medieval Manor
Medieval manor - owned by a lord; a community that produced everything it needed
B. Castle was center of medieval manor
1. Castle keep was central building, home of lord
C. Manors used the three field system
1. Spring field, fall field, fallow field
2. Fallow field - left unplanted for a season to restore nutrients
D. Land worked by common people called peasants

6. IV. Peasant Life A. Two classes of peasants – freemen & serfs
1. Paid nobles to work land, had lawful rights
2. Most were serfs - tied to manor, could not own property
3. Lords expected to protect peasants
4. Serfs worked lord’s land & their own, gave portion of crops to the lord
B. Lived in simple cottages in villages
1. Worked year round
2. Planted, weeded, harvested fields
3. Sheared sheep and slaughtered livestock
C. Stopped work on feast days & to attend Sunday church
D. Women worked fields & kept home

7. V. Improvements in Farming
A. Early manors produced only enough food to support itself
B. Eventually, new technology & farming techniques increased amount of crops manor could produce
1. Heavy-wheeled iron plow allowed farming deep in clay soil
2. Water & wind mills provided power to grind grain into flour
3. Three-field system & crop rotation allowed soil to restore nutrients

8. VI. Growth of Towns & Cities
A. Europe changed quickly & drastically when Rome collapsed
1. Trade declined
2. Roman bridges, roads were neglected, fell to ruin
3. Law & order disappeared in many places
4. Most spent their entire short lives in village they were born
B. By 1100, feudalism made Europe safer
1. Nobles repaired roads, arrested bandits, enforced law
2. New technology made farming & manufacturing easier
3. Population grew for first time since fall of Rome
C. Nobles demanded luxuries from E. Asia (sugar, spices, silks, dyes)

9. VII. Wealthy Trading Centers
A. By 1200, many Italian cities became trading centers
1. Built fleets of trading ships & controlled trade with Byzantines
B. Trade fairs established in N. France
1. Merchants came from all over Europe to barter goods
C. Merchants soon began demanding gold & silver coins rather than trading for goods
1. Led to beginning of banking in Europe

10. VIII. Medieval Cities A. As cities grew, a new middle class grew
1. Merchants, artisans, etc., gained wealth, became leaders in growing cities
B. Men in cities elected city councils, lawmakers, judges
C. Nobles often owned surrounding territory, expected to control town affairs as they had under feudalism
1. Townspeople wanted freedom to make own laws, fought nobles for basic rights
D. Cities built inside stone walls, with buildings & people tightly packed
1. Could be unsanitary, as smoke from fireplaces filled the air & sewers were often open

11. IX. Guilds
A. Craftsmen of different products formed groups called guilds
1. Guild - group of similar craftsmen that controlled business in towns
2. Set prices for products & services & set standards for quality
B. Guilds decided who could enter a trade
1. Young hopeful artisans called apprentices worked & trained under a master craftsman