Bell Ringer 8/26/15 Give a short reflection on the picture below. Tell me who you would guess the people are and how they fit in to some sort of power structure. Give reasons.

Feudalism

Europe’s Problems Europeans attacked by German invaders German kingdoms are set up Invasions: –Disrupt trade –Destroys cities –Shifts population to the country –Learning slows –Loss of a common language

Charlemagne Charlemagne is king of the Franks –Strongest Germanic tribe Unites German kingdoms –Spreads Christianity 800 A.D.: Saves Pope Leo III from an attack –In return, Leo crowns him emperor

Who’s next? Charlemagne dies Son, Louis the Pious takes over –Religious, but ineffective as a leader Pious dies, 3 sons fight for land 843:Treaty of Verdun –Empire into 3 kingdoms Kings lose power

After Verdun No strong leaders New system of governing and landholding: FEUDALISM

Feudalism A medieval system of political organization based on rights and obligations People were afraid of invaders –Vikings, Muslims… Kings could not defend their land

What to do? People created small communities Place themselves under the protection of lords/nobles and knights Nobles were given permission to use the king’s land

The vassal on the fief… Land given by the king is a fief –The noble owed loyalty and military service to the king –The person receiving the land is a vassal Nobles use $ for: –Knights with horses and equipment –Protection for peasants

Social Class 1)King 2)Powerful vassals (Nobles and Bishops) 3)Knights- Mounted horsemen who pledged to defend their lord for a fief (also can be vassals)

Social Status 4) Peasants- technically free Worked in village What they made was the lord’s Serfs cannot leave where they are born, cannot be sold Freemen, but work for the lord to pay off debts Crop failure, losing war, no income…

Show me what you know! From your notes, create a chart showing the social levels of medieval society. Include –Each level of society –What does each level do for people below them? –What do they do for those above them?

Bell Ringer 8/27/15 List the following roles in the Middle Ages in order of most powerful to least powerful Vassal, peasant, king, knight, church, and serf

Manorialism Where and how you lived!

Manors Economic structure of feudalism –Also based on rights and obligations –Not between king and nobles, but between nobles and peasants/serfs Lord gives housing, farmland and protection –Serfs/Peasants work the land

Manors A few square miles that included: –Lord’s house (castle) –Church –Workshops –A mill (for grain grinding) –15-30 families Self-sufficient community

Peasants Did not make much (income) Taxed on all grain ground in lord’s mill Paid tax on marriage—must have lord’s consent Church tax, a tithe (tie-th), to the village priest –1/10 of income

Peasants Housing: –1-2 rooms –Dirt floors –Brought pigs in for warmth –Slept together on straw filled with bugs! Diet –Vegetables –Coarse brown bread –Grain –Cheese –soup

Peasants Lifestyle: –Children worked in the field –Most didn’t survive childhood –Life expectancy? 35 Why settle? –Accepted hardships because they believed God determined a person’s place in society

Show me what you know! Write a brief diary entry as if you were living in the M.A. Use information that we have learned so far to help construct an ACCURATE description of what it would have been like to live back then.