Europe in the Middle Ages

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Feudalism

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A political system based on a system of exchanges of land for loyalty.

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Manor

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Large fiefs or estates that provided self-sufficiency and defense.

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Manorial System

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An ownership system in medieval Europe that gave the lord of the manor power over the land and the people who worked it. Hierarchy: Lord-vassal-knights-serfs.

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Serf

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Peasants who, while not slaves, were tied to the land and could not marry or travel without permission.

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Three field system

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A rotation of three fields: 1) wheat or rye, 2) lentils and beans which restored the soil, 3) unused.

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The Estates General

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A body to advise the king, including each of the three classes, or 'estates'.

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Estates in France

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The three classes: clergy, nobility, commoners.

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Magna Carta

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A document that King John was forced to sign in 1215; it limited his power and gave the right to a jury trial when convicted of a crime.

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English Parliament

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Formed in 1265, it was a legislative body that increased the rights of the English Nobility.

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Primogeniture

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A rule in which the eldest son in a family inherited the entire estate.