1. William the Conqueror & the Introduction of Feudalism
The High Middle Ages
William the Conqueror
& the Introduction of Feudalism

2. OBJECTIVES
Our lesson today is designed to look at the social structure of England in the High Middle Ages and determine what impact the feudal system had on the people of different social classes.

3. Topics of Discussion What was life like in the HMA?
How was society structured?
The Feudal Contract
Building social contracts
Constructing the Feudal Pyramid of Power
Relationship Between the Social Classes
Why was it necessary?

4. Getting Started
So what was life like in England in the High Middle Ages?
Based on your reading of the story yesterday after the test, come up with 3 – 5 predictions about what life was like back then
Questions to think about:
Type of government?
People’s rights?
People’s jobs?
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.

5. Contracts What are contracts and why do we have them?
What are some examples of contracts?
What types of contracts might people use back in the HMA?
What purpose would they serve?

6. The Feudal Contract Read pages 45 & 46 Answer questions #1 and 2c
When you are finished we will discuss these!

7. Feudalism is… Fealty Feif Faith
Must be loyal (follow rules and pay taxes/tithes)
Feif
Own or work on a piece of land
Faith
Must go to church

8. SO WHY WAS FEUDALISM NECESSARY?
After the Roman Empire collapsed, Europe had no strong central govt.
Cities were much smaller and were no longer economic cities bur places to huddle for protection.
Feudalism began on the latifundia of Roman times
Roman nobles needed to protect their estates but had no money to pay soldiers
Former Roman generals and their soldiers were offered land in return for their assistance in protecting the estates.
Former tenant farmers and slaves of Rome became the peasants who worked for the landed upper class in return for a protected place to live.
Some small landowners willing gave up their land to the nobles in order to have a safe haven.
Nobles who had the land also had the political power.
He made all the laws for his fief

9. Because…
Feudalism originated partly as result of Viking, Magyar, Muslim invasions
Kings unable to defend their lands, lands of their nobles
Nobles had to find way to defend own lands
Built castles, often on hills
Not elaborate structures; built of wood, used as place of shelter in case of attack

10. And also because…
Back then, people were divided into a variety of social classes/groups
How might they have been grouped?
What did they base these groupings on?

11. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OR POWER

12. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OF POWER
SERFS AND FREEMEN

13. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OF POWER
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

14. CONSTRUCTING THE PYRAMID OF POWER
POWERFUL
NOBLES
LAND AND
PROTECTION
LOYALTY AND
MILITARY SERVICE
LESSER NOBLES
(KNIGHTS)
LABOR
PROTECTION
SERFS AND FREEMEN

15. 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 AND FREEMEN

16. 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.

17. Workers on the Manor
There were two groups of peasant workers on 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.)
Serfs – workers bound to the land by contract with the nobles. (They had no freedom - they where the noble’s property.)
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

18. Feudal Contract
LORDS
GIVE
SERVICE TO
GIVE
PROTECTION TO
VASSALS

19. The Impact of Feudalism
Read page 47
Answer questions # 3a and 3b
We will discuss these before doing a short review practice quiz

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Making Connections
Comparing the Oath of Allegiance and the Canadian Oath of Citizenship
How are these similar?
How are these different?

23. THE END
HISTORY
NOTES