1. 15 April 2016
Bellringer – What happened to Rome’s land after the Empire collapsed? Without an empire, what happened to the people of Europe?
Life in the Middle Ages – Packet pg 4
PowerPoint
How feudalism works
HW : 17.2 Notes/Vocab
Bring your book!!!

3. Feudal Society Political Structure

5. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OF POWER
King
LOYALTY AND
SERVICE
LAND
Powerful Nobles
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
Lesser Nobles (Knights)
LABOR
PROTECTION
Serfs, Freemen & Peasants

6. Vocabulary Review Nobles/lords- vassals of the kings and queens
Vassal – a knight who promised to support a lord in exchange for land
Homage – ceremony in which a man became a vassal of a lord
Knights- warriors who fought on horseback
Fief – land given in exchange oath of loyalty
Feudal Contract – An agreement between lords and vassals in which land was exchanged for service

7. Workers on the Manor
Serfs – workers bound to the land by contract with the nobles. (They had no freedom - they belonged to the manor.)
Freemen- skilled workers who paid rent and could leave the manor whenever they wished. (They usually had a skill needed by others on the manor.)
Manor- a large estate owned by a king or lord
There were two groups of workers on the manor
Freemen:
Usually had a skill needed by others on the manor
Included seneschals and bailiffs who helped run the manor
- Seneschals looked after fiefs
by visiting each regularly
- Bailif made sure peasants
worked
- Towns (called shires) also had
peace-keepers known as
reeves
Serfs:
Required to work the noble’s land
Also worked their own land and gave a part of their crops to the noble
Had no freedom – they were the noble’s property
Peasants had no political power

8. Feudal Contract Add this to your notes!
LORDS
GIVE
SERVICE TO
GIVE
PROTECTION/LAND TO
VASSALS

9. Relationship Between Lords and Vassals
The relationship between lords and vassals made up a big part of the political and social structure of the feudal system
Vassals had certain duties to perform for the lord
All nobles were ultimately vassals of the king.
The relationship between lords and vassals made up a big part of the political and social structure of the feudal system.
Based on ties of loyalty and duty among nobles
Nobles were both lords and vassals
Ties were made official by the “act of homage”
Fiefs were given to vassals by lords
Lords gave vassals the right to govern the people who lived on their fiefs
Lords promised to give protection to the vassals
Breaking the feudal contract could mean loss of land
Vassals had certain duties to perform for the lord.
Helped the lord in battle
Participated personally in military service 40 – 60 days a year
Gave money when the lord’s daughters married and when sons were knighted
Paid the lord’s ransom or took his place if he was captured
Attended the lord’s court
Provided food and entertainment when the lord visited
All nobles were ultimately vassals of the king.
Nobles provided the king with knights to form an army for defense and conquest
Because of this, the real power belonged to the nobles.

10. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OF POWER
King
LOYALTY AND
SERVICE
LAND
Powerful Nobles
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
Lesser Nobles (Knights)
LABOR
PROTECTION
Serfs, Freemen & Peasants

15. Let’s see how much you remember!
REVIEW
Let’s see how much you remember!
Everyone owed loyalty to the ________
_______ were really the most powerful. They got _______ from the king.
Lesser nobles (knights) gave _________ _________ in return for land
_______ were bound to the land. They worked in return for ____________.
__________ were skilled workers. They paid rent to the ______ and were free to move if they wanted to.

16. Check Your Answers Everyone owed loyalty to the king.
Nobles were really the most powerful. They got land from the king.
Lesser nobles (knights) gave military service in return for land.
Serfs were bound to the land. They worked in return for protection.
Freemen were skilled workers. They paid rent to the nobles and were free to move if they wanted to.

17. THE END
HISTORY
NOTES