The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages

Lesson 2: Feudalism and the Rise of Towns

Fuedal Order

When Charlemagne’s empire fell, Europe no longer had a powerful central government. Nobles who owned land became more powerful than kings. This led to a new system called feudalism. Under feudalism, nobles ruled and protected the people. In return, the people worked for the nobles. They fought in the noble’s army or farmed the noble’s land. By 1000, the kingdoms of Europe were divided into thousands of areas ruled by nobles. Most of these feudal territories were very small.

Feudalism was based on loyalty and duty. A lord was a high- ranking noble who had power. A vassal was a low-ranking noble who served a lord. The lord rewarded him with land called a fief. Many vassals were knights, or warriors in armor who fought on horseback.

Fuedal Order Cont....

Knights lived according to a code called chivalry. They were expected to be honest and loyal. Knights trained for battle by holding competitions called tournaments. They were expected to fight fairly.

Nobles lived in castles—tall, stone buildings that served as forts and as homes. High stone walls surrounded the castle. Its buildings contained a storage area, stables for the horses, a kitchen, a great hall for eating and receiving guests, bedrooms, and a chapel. When nobles were away at war, their wives or daughters ran the estates.

Medieval Knights Jousting

Multiple Choice

a low-ranking noble who served a lord.

• lord

• vassal

• fief

Multiple Select

What did people do in exchange for the protection of a noble?

• fought in their army

• educated their children

• farmed their land

Open Ended

List one of the rules of behavior that knights followed?

The Medieval Manor

The fiefs of the Middle Ages were divided into farming communities called manors. The lord ruled the manor. Peasants worked the land.

There were two groups of peasants—freemen and serfs. Freemen paid the nobles for the right to farm the land. They had legal rights and could move when and where they wished. Most peasants were serfs. Serfs could not leave the manor, own property, or marry without the lord’s permission. However, lords could not sell the serfs.

The Medieval Manor Cont...

Lords protected their serfs. In return, serf worked long hours and gave their lord part of their own crops. It was not easy for serfs to gain freedom. They could run away to the towns. If a serf stayed in a town for more than a year without being captured, he or she was considered free. By the end of the Middle Ages, many serfs were allowed to buy their freedom.

New inventions made farming better. The most important was a heavy-wheeled plow with an iron blade. It easily cut through thick clay soil. The horse collar let a horse pull a plow. Horses were faster than oxen, so peasants could plant more crops. Peasants learned to rotate their crops. They planted only two of their three fields at a time. This kept the soil healthy, and more food could be grown.

Medieval Plow

Multiple Choice

a peasant who was tied to the land and its owner

• serf

• fief

• lord

Open Ended

Why might a serf run away from a manor?

Multiple Select

Which inventions or changes helped medieval peasants grow more food.

• the plow with an iron blade

• the horse collar

• the wheel

• rake with an iron blade

• rotate crops

The Growth of Towns and Cities

When the Roman Empire fell, almost all trade in Western Europe

stopped. By 1100, feudalism had made Europe safer. Trade began

again. As trade increased, towns grew. Many cities became

wealthy. Venice and other Italian cities began trading with the

Byzantine Empire. Soon Italian cities became the centers of trade

in the Mediterranean.

Towns in Flanders were the centers of trade for northern

Europe. Flanders is a region in Belgium today. Merchants from all

over western Europe met there to trade their goods for fine wool.

The Growth of Towns and Cities Cont...

Towns were usually built on land owned by nobles. They tried to control town business. Townspeople wanted to make their own laws. They forced nobles to give them basic rights. Over time, medieval towns set up their own governments.

Trade encouraged people to make things. Soon these craftspeople organized guilds, or business groups. Each craft had its own guild. Guilds set standards of quality for products, they set prices. and decided who could join a trade.

Medieval cities could be unpleasant and even dangerous places to live. The streets were narrow, dirty and smelly. Yet a city was also a place where people could earn a living.

Narrow streets in Medieval cities

Each Medieval Guild had its own symbol

Open Ended

How did the lives of freemen and serfs differ?

Multiple Choice

a group of merchants or craftspeople

• general store

• trade group

• guild