Module 19: Middle Ages Lesson 2

​ Bell Ringer
5-7 minutes

​Directions: You will complete a Short read to imagine If You were there... You will give a short answer (2-3 sentences) to answer the question that is related to the short read. Please make sure that you are using the correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

Open Ended

If You were there...

You are a peasant in the Middle Ages, living on the land of a noble. Although you and your family work very hard for many hours of the day, much of the food you grow goes to the noble and his family. Your house is very small, and it has a dirt floor. Your parents are tired and weak, and you wish you could do something to improve their lives.

Question: Is there any way you could change your life?

​Module 19: The Middle Ages
Lesson 2: Feudalism, Manors, and Towns

Standard:7.8-Assess the Middle Ages and the emergence of nation-states in Europe.
Objective: 7.8.1-Explain the system of feudalism, and its relationship to the development of European monarchies and nation-states.

​ I can Statement

​"I can describe the duties and obligations that governed relationships between people in the Middle Ages."

​What will you learn today?

• ​Feudalism governed how knights and nobles dealt with each other.

• Feudalism spread through much of Europe.

• The Manor system dominated Europe's economy.

• Towns and trade grew and helped to end the feudal system.

​ Key Terms and People

1. ​knights: warriors who fought on horseback.

2. vassal: a knight who promised to support a lord in exchange for land.

3. Feudalism: the system that governs the relationship between lords and vassals.

4. William the Conqueror: French noble who conquered England spread feudalism.

5. manor: large estate owned by a knight or lord.

6. serfs: workers who were tied to the land on which they lived.

7. Elanor of Aquitaine: powerful French noblewoman who became queen of France and England.

​Feudalism Governs Knights and Nobles

​When the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims began their raids in the 800's the Frankish kings were unable to defend their empire. Nobles had to defend their own lands. Many nobles began to rule their lands as independent territories. These nobles needed soldiers. They gave knights, or warriors who fought on horseback, land in exchange for military service. A noble who gave land to a knight was called a lord, while the knight was called a vassal. The system that governed the promises between lords and vassals is called feudalism.

Multiple Choice

Nobles had to defend their own lands

• True

• False

Dropdown

warriors who fought on horseback ​

Select answer

a noble who gave land to a knight​

Select answer

a knight was called ​

Select answer

the system that governed the promises between lords and vassals​

Select answer

​Lords and vassals had responsibilities to each other. A lord had to send help if an enemy attacked a vassal. A lord had to be fair or vassals could break all ties with him. Vassals had to fight at a lord's command. They also had to house and feed a lord if he visited and sometimes pay him money.

Open Ended

List one responsibility of a vassal towards a lord

​ Feudalism Spreads

​Frankish knights introduced feudalism into northern Italy, Spain, and Germany. from Germany knights carried feudalism into Eastern Europe. Feudalism reached Britain when William the Conqueror invaded and made himself king of England.

​ The Manor System

​An estate owned by a knight or lord was called a manor. As fighters, knights had no time to work in the fields. Most peasants, or small farmers, owned no land but needed to grow food to live. Knights let them live and farm land on their estates. In return, the peasants gave them food or other payment. Serfs, workers who were tied to the land on which they lived, were not allowed to leave without their lord's permission. Skilled workers also lived and worked on the manor. They traded goods and services to the peasants in exchange for food.

Multiple Choice

An estate owned by a knight or lord was called a

• castle

• manor

• house

• museum

​Women in the Middle Ages had fewer rights than men, but they still played important roles in society. Some women, like the French woman Elanor of Aquitaine, even became politically powerful.

Multiple Choice

Women in the Middle Ages had more rights than men

• True

• False

​ Towns and Trade Grow

​Most people lived on manors or small farms during the Middle Ages. However, as Europe's population grew, more people began living in towns and cities. The invention of a horse collar and a heavier plow made more food available. Increased trade eventually led to the decline of feudalism because people could make a living by making or selling particular types of goods.

Multiple Choice

What led to the decline of feudalism?

• increase in money

• increased land

• increased trade

• invention of the horse collar

​Let's wrap it up

​ Exit Ticket

Open Ended

Exit Ticket: How did today's lesson make you feel?