1. Social Classes in the Middle Ages

2. The Divine Right of Kings
Is a political and religious doctrine that argues that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving the right to rule directly from the will of God.
Kings get their power from God and no man can challenge the King’s power

3. Royalty Kings inherited the crown by hereditary birthright
Sons inherited from their fathers
Kings required the support of their Nobles
Only men could be King
Queens were generally not allowed to be the sole monarch.
Queens forced to marry and share the throne

5. Maintaining Control
Kings controlled their subjects with land in exchange for oaths of loyalty
Subjects/Vassals took Oaths of Loyalty in which a subject swears allegiance a to monarch or country and promises military service

6. Nobles and Lords They were privileged and elite landowning families
In the social pyramid, they stood between merchants and royalty
Becoming a member of the noble class was either:
a hereditary birthright
an honor bestowed by royalty in appreciation for service or loyalty.

7. Purpose of Nobles
The nobles’ place in society was essentially to function as middle-men between the peasants and the royal family.

8. Responsibilities of Nobles
Nobles provided:
Work
land
protection to the peasants
Funding , supplies, and military service to the king.
Managed social affairs and family finances

9. Knights
Employees of Nobles who has been granted an honorary title of knighthood by a monarch or other political leader for service, especially in a military capacity.

10. Responsibilities of Knights
accompany or assist on hunting expeditions or military excursions.
trained side-by-side with their masters
each able to benefit from the help and training of the other.

11. Armor
Earlier armor consisted of cloth garments covered in small chainmail
interlocking iron rings
easy to create and to wear
Left some areas vulnerable

12. Armor Later plate mail was quite secure Very heavy
a great deal of training to successfully maneuvering while wearing the heavy armor.

13. Weapons: Lance
The lance was a long wooden pole with a metal tip and hand guards.

14. Weapons: Mace
The mace was a club with a big steel head.

15. Weapons: Long Bow
Many knights considered the longbow to be a cowardly weapon.
Long range weapon

16. Knights Favorite Weapon: Sword
The sword was a knight’s favorite weapon for combat
due to its utility in defense and attack
The Sword was used during the ceremonies when the squire was ascended to the level of knighthood.

17. Merchants
Merchants in the middle ages were business people who participated in retail and travel for trade

18. The Job of Merchants
Merchants went on travels in search of products and would then sell them in markets and shops or at fairs. 
Competed over trade routes
Very competitive market

19. Originally Outcaste
Clergy opposed merchant activities such as banking and trading.
these activities were evil and against God’s will.
merchants blamed for:
natural catastrophes
Disease
floods
famine

20. Valuable to Society
The role of the merchant became important in society in the 13th and the 14th centuries because people wanted to buy more and new trade goods, and required Merchants who supplied those goods

21. Challenge the King
merchants became wealthy enough to purchase their own lands.
Attempted to create independent cities outside the feudal system and the King’s power

22. Serfs
Medieval Serfs were peasants who worked his lord's land and paid him certain dues in return for the use of land, not ownership
A serf was one bound to work on a certain estate, and sold with it

23. Serfs Serfs paid their dues by : labor on the lord's land
goods produced by the land-ex. crops.
expected to work for 3 days each week on the lord's land.

24. Oppression of Serfs Serfdom represented a form of slavery and freedom
could be sold with the land.
serf needed permission to:
change his home
marry outside the manor
bequeath his goods

25. Origin of the Serfs and Serfdom
Serfdom developed during the later centuries of the Roman Empire
decedents of Roman slaves
Some were freemen who desired the protection of a lord

26. Freedom!
The Black Death killed off much of the population so serfs were expected to do more work
led to the Peasants revolt in which serfs demanded more rights for the increased amount of labour

27. Women’s Power in the Middle Ages
women were totally dominated by the male family members
expected to instantly obey any male family members
The law gave a husband full rights over his wife. She effectively became his property.

28. Women’s Role The produce children and be an obedient wife
Noble women also managed social functions for the family

29. Women’s Social Status
The social status of a woman was based on that of her father, husband or closest male relative
Only nuns were independent of a man’s status as they were connected to the church

30. Disobedient Women
Any unruly girls were beaten into submission and disobedience was seen as a crime against religion.
PS domestic abuse was just decriminalized in Russia so women still need to fight for equality today!

31. Nobel Marriage
With parental permission it was legal for boys to marry at fourteen and girls at twelve.
A betrothal often took place at 7 years old and in the case of Higher nobility many were babies.
marriage was only legal once the marriage had been consummated.

32. Nobel Marriage
Marriages would be arranged to bring prestige or wealth to the family of noble women.
Marriage for love was a rare occurrence.
Noble women were expected to bring a dowry to the marriage.

33. Noble Women’s Education
concentrated on the practical as opposed to academic.
Manners and etiquette were of prime importance:
how to curtsey
how to mix with the greatest nobles in the land.
how to dance and ride.
Archery

34. A Taste of Independence
Noble women became the lords of the Manor or Castle when their husbands were gone for political or military reasons
For a short time the women were in charge

35. A New Position and Power
Merchant Women had an arguably better life than Noble women because:
They lived in more comfortable homes
More control of family business and finances
More equal relationship

36. The Power of Religion
The clergy promoted the protection of women against the violence of men
The clergy found that women were more religious, more reflective, and more capable of culture

37. Giving Life Women were expected to have large families
More hands for the farm
Sons to carry on a legacy
Dangerous for women
Medical care was expensive and hard to obtain
poor sanitation led to risk if infection
Delivery complications could end in death for both mom and baby (C-section)