1. Feudalism and Manor Life
Chapter 17 - Section 3

2. Define: Knights - Warriors who fought on horseback
Vassal - A knight who promised to support a
lord in exchange for land
Feudalism - System of promises between a lord
and his vassals
Manor - Large estates owned by a knight or lord
Serf - Workers who were bound to the land on
which they lived

3. Feudalism Governs Knights and Nobles
How did nobles become so powerful? They couldn’t rely on protection from king so they were forced to protect their own lands
Knights and Land
Nobles needed what to defend their land? Soldiers/Knights
Nobles gave knights? - Pieces of land called Fiefs (feefs) instead of money
Nobles who gave land were called? Lords
In return for land knights promised to? Support the noble in battle and other matters

4. Continued They became known as - Vassals
This agreement became known as -
Feudalism

5. A Lord’s Duties Lords had to do what for vassals:
Send them help if an enemy attacked
Couldn’t cheat or punish them without reason or vassals wouldn’t obey the lord
Lords built - Castles to defend their land from attack

6. A Vassals Duties
Other than fighting, Vassal’s had to do what for the lords:
Give them money on special occasions
Give them food and shelter during a visit
A knight could:
Gain land to become a lord
Accept fiefs from two different lords at
the same time

7. Feudalism Spreads Feudalism created by - Franks
1000’s - Feudalism spreads to
England
By - A French noble named William
who conquered England
Nickname - William the Conqueror

8. The Manor System England didn’t have time - Farm the land given
to them by the lords
Manor System:
Knights allowed peasants to - farm the land on
their large estates
Peasants had to - Give the knights food or
other payments
Large estates were called - Manors

9. Manors Continued It included: -large house or castle -pastures -fields
-forests

10. Peasants, Serfs and Other Workers
Serfs life:
Permission needed to - leave the manor
Benefits for working - small piece of land
& received protection
Men - Did most of the farming
Women - Made clothing, cooked, grew
veggies, and gathered wood
Children - Tended to sheep and
chickens around the farm

11. Manor Lords Controlled - Everything that happened on his land
Lord’s responsibilities:
Resolved disputes and handed down punishments
Collected taxes from manor residents

12. Women in the Middle Ages
Women’s rights - Fewer than men, obeyed their husbands or fathers
Noble Women:
Ran manor households and supervised their servants
Governed the manor when their husbands went to war

13. Towns and Trade Grow
Most people lived - on manors or small farms in the country
Reasons cities grew larger: Farming technology & increased
trading
Plow - heavier plow dug deeper into soil helping plants to
grow
Horse Collar - Farmers now could use horses instead of
the slower oxen
Trade led to - The growth of cities and population
Serfs and peasants began - moving from manors to work in
cities