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.

The Feudal Order Feudalism rose out of need for protection from invasion and raid Nobles collected taxes, governed and protected people living on their land People provided service in return, such as fighting in the army or farming By 1000, hundreds of feudal territories existed, but few nations Feudalism depended on loyalty and sense of duty Lords owned land and had political power Vassals were lower-ranking nobles who served a lord A vassal took an oath of loyalty to his lord In return for his service, a vassal received land from the lord A vassal’s land was known as a fief Knights were low-ranking vassals Warriors who fought on horseback

Nobles and Knights Before days of Kings, lords were most powerful men in Europe Knights united with lords to defend society Knights followed code of chivalry – knights must be brave, obey lord, respect noble women and defend the church Knights trained for war by competing in tournaments - tests of strength and skill Castle was the center of the medieval manor Castle keep was the central building, home of the lord and his family

The Medieval Manor Medieval manor was a community that produced everything it needed Land worked by peasants Consisted of castle, farmland divided into fields, and a peasant village Two classes of peasants – freemen and serfs Freemen paid nobles to work land, had lawful rights Most peasants were serfs – tied to the manor, could not own property Lords were expected to protect peasants on the manor Serfs worked lord’s land and their own, gave portion of crops to the lord, and paid lord for use of village mill, bread oven, winepress

Peasant Life Peasants lived in simple cottages in villages Peasants worked year round Planted, weeded, harvested fields Sheared sheep and slaughtered livestock Peasants stopped work to attend church on Sundays and on feast days Peasant women worked in fields and kept home

Improvements in Farming Manors produced only enough food to support itself Eventually, new technology and farming techniques increased the amount of crops a manor could produce Heavy wheeled iron plow allowed farming deep in clay soil Horse collar allowed horses to pull plow Water and wind mills provided power to grind grain into flour Three-field system and crop rotation allowed soil to restore nutrients Fallow field went unplanted and restored nutrients to soil

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

Wealthy Trading Centers By 1200, many Italian cities became trading centers Built fleets of trading ships & controlled trade with Byzantines Flanders (in present-day Belgium) became trading center on northern coast Merchants came from all over Europe to trade for wool Trade fairs established in northern France Merchants came from all over Europe to barter goods Merchants soon began demanding gold and silver coins rather than trading for goods Led to beginning of banking in Europe

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

Guilds Craftsmen of different products formed groups called guilds Group of similar craftsmen that controlled business in towns Set prices, for products and services & standards for quality Guilds decided who could enter a trade Young hopeful artisans called apprentices worked & trained under a master craftsman