Presentation Plus! Human Heritage: A World History
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Developed by FSCreations, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Send all inquiries to:
GLENCOE DIVISION
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
8787 Orion Place
Columbus, Ohio 43240
CHAPTER FOCUS
SECTION 1 Land and Government
SECTION 2 The Nobility
SECTION 3 Knighthood
SECTION 4 The Manor
CHAPTER SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER ASSESSMENT
3
Click a hyperlink to go to the corresponding section.
Press the ESC key at any time to exit the presentation.
Overview
• Chapter 24 discusses the development of
feudal society in western Europe after the
collapse of Charlemagne’s empire. 
– Section 1 describes the origins
of feudalism. 
– Section 2 discusses the feudal social
hierarchy. 
– Section 3 describes the duties of feudal
knights. 
– Section 4 explains the lifestyles of the
people in feudal society and the
organization of the manors.
4
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
• explain why feudalism developed in
western Europe. 
• describe what roles were played by lords
and vassals. 
• discuss a knight’s duties. 
• describe manor life.
5
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Read to Discover
• Why feudalism developed in
western Europe 
• What roles were played by lords
and vassals 
• What the duties of a knight were 
• What life was like on a manor
6
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information. The Chapter Focus is on page 367 of your textbook.
Terms to Learn
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7
feudalism 
clergy 
fiefs 
vassal 
act of homage 
knight 
castles 
keep 
ladies 
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
code of chivalry 
page 
squire 
dubbing 
tournaments 
joust 
manors 
seneschal 
bailiff 
freemen
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information. Click the Speaker On button to listen to the words.
Why It’s Important
Central government collapsed after the death of King
Charlemagne. As the Vikings invaded western
European kingdoms, local nobles took over the duty of
raising armies and protecting their property. Power
passed from kings to local lords, giving rise to a system
known as feudalism. Under feudalism, landowning
nobles governed and protected the people in exchange
for services, such as fighting in a noble’s army or
farming the land.
The clergy, or religious leaders, also owned land and
held power. Members of the clergy taught Christianity,
helped the poor and sick, and advised the nobles who
belonged to the Church. With western Europe divided
into thousands of feudal territories, the Church served
as a unifying force and exerted a strong influence over
the culture of the Middle Ages.
Click the Speaker On button replay audio.
8
Land and Government
• During feudal times, power was based on
the ownership of land. 
• Charles Martel, the Frankish leader, began
giving his soldiers fiefs, or estates, as
rewards. 
• From their fiefs, the soldiers got the income
they needed to buy horses and battle
equipment. 
• After 800, the kings of Europe followed
Martel’s example, tying land ownership to
military service and resulting in power
and wealth for soldiers.
10
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information. Section 1 begins on page 367 of your textbook.
The Rise of Feudal Territories
• After Charlemagne’s death in 814, Europe
had no central government and very
weak kings. 
• Around 900, the nobles took on the duty
of protecting their land and people from
the Vikings with fortresses and fences. 
• By 1000, the kingdoms of western Europe
were divided into thousands of feudal
territories.
11
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
The Rise of Feudal Territories (cont.)
• The noble who owned the land had the
political power, making the laws for his fief
and disallowing the peasants any say in
the government. 
• As almost everyone believed that God
wanted it that way, few people tried to
improve society.
12
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Lord and Vassal
• Feudalism was based on ties of loyalty and
duty among nobles, who were both lords
and vassals, or nobles who served a lord of
higher rank. 
• The tie between lord and vassal was
made official in a special ceremony known
as the act of homage, in which the vassal
promised to serve the lord. 
• Vassals had to help the lord in battle,
make payments to their lord, and attend
the lord’s court.
13
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Lord and Vassal (cont.)
• When a lord’s daughter married, or his son
became a knight, or warrior on horseback,
his vassals had to give the lord money.
14
Section Assessment
How did land ownership become
tied to military service?
Fiefs were given to soldiers as
a reward.
15
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
How did nobles become
so powerful?
Kings depended on nobles for food,
horses, soldiers, and taxes.
16
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
What were some duties of
a vassal?
His duty was to serve the lord in
battle, make payments to the lord,
become a prisoner in his place or pay
his ransom, and entertain him.
17
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Demonstrating Reasoned Judgment
What were the advantages of being
a vassal? What were the
disadvantages?
Answers will vary.
18
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Recreate the diagram on page 369
of your textbook, and use it to show
some of the causes of feudalism.
Sample causes: lack of central
government, the weak kings who
followed Charlemagne, the increasing
power of nobles, the willingness of
peasants to give their land to nobles
for protection against the Vikings
19
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
The Nobility
• From the 800s to the 1000s, nobles and
their families lived in one-room wooden
houses surrounded by palisades, or high
wooden fences built for protection.
Section 2 begins on page 369 of your textbook.
21
The Castle
• By the 1100s, nobles were living in stone
houses, designed as fortresses,
called castles. 
• Within the castle walls was a keep, or tall
tower with thick walls, that contained a
great hall, many rooms, and a dungeon. 
• Many people lived in the castle, including
the noble’s servants and officials who
were responsible for the castle’s care
and defense.
22
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Castle Life
• When nobles were at home, they looked
after their estates, went hunting and fishing,
played games, and held court. 
• Noblewomen were called ladies. 
• Women were often married by 12 years of
age, helped their husbands run their
estates, and were expected to have and
raise children.
23
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Section Assessment
What activities took place in the
noble’s house?
Nobles met with vassals, carried out
laws, and said their prayers; people
slept there; meals were cooked and
eaten there.
24
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
How did the design of a castle
protect people?
Answers will vary.
25
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
What were the duties of a feudal
noblewoman?
She helped her husband run his
estate, defended the castle when the
men were away, raised children, took
care of the household, and cared for
the poor and sick.
26
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Drawing Conclusions What parts of
castle life would you have liked?
What parts would you have
disliked?
Answers will vary.
27
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Recreate the diagram on page 373 of
your textbook, and use it to compare
the living conditions of nobles before
and after the rise of castles.
Sample responses: Before–lived in
one-room wooden houses surrounded
by palisades; After–lived in
stone fortresses.
28
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Knighthood
• Almost all nobles earned knighthood. 
• Knights were expected to follow the code
of chivalry, rules stating that a knight was
to obey his lord, show bravery, respect
women of noble birth, honor the Church,
help people, and to fight fairly against his
enemies. 
• The code of chivalry became the guide to
behavior from which the western idea of
good manners developed.
30
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information. Section 3 begins on page 373 of your textbook.
Training
• A noble began knighthood training at seven
years of age. 
• At the castle of another lord, he learned to
be a page, or a person who helped the
knights of the castle. 
• At 15 years old, a page became a squire
and was put under the care and training of
one knight.
31
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Training (cont.)
• If the squire proved to be a good fighter, he
was rewarded by being made a knight in a
special ceremony known as dubbing, in
which he promised to defend the Church,
his lord, and to protect the weak.
32
Tournaments
• Knights trained for war by fighting each
other in tournaments, or special contests
that test strength, skill, and endurance. 
• The most popular event was the joust, in
which two armored knights on horseback
carrying dull lances galloped towards
each other, trying to knock the other to the
ground with his lance. 
• While very popular, the cost of
tournaments was high.
33
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Section Assessment
Why did noble families send
their sons to other castles to
work as pages?
They sent them to work as pages so
they could receive training to become
a knight.
34
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
How did knights train for war?
They trained by taking part in
tournaments with events such as
the joust.
35
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Making Comparisons How were
tournaments similar to the Olympic
games in ancient Greece? How
were they different?
Like the Olympics, the tournaments had
many events watched by many people
outside. The tournaments were
designed to prepare the knights for war.
The Olympic Games, however, were
held to honor the gods. Unlike the
Olympic Games, women were allowed
to view the tournaments.
36
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Recreate the diagram on page
375 of your textbook, and use it
to show the steps leading to
knighthood.
Step 1–receive training as a page; Step
2–serve as a squire to a knight; Step 3–
take part in the dubbing ceremony
37
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
The Manor
• Nobles, knights, and peasants all depended
on the land for everything. 
• The land was divided into manors, or
farming communities. 
• Manors were found on fiefs and were
owned by nobles.
39
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information. Section 4 begins on page 375 of your textbook.
Daily Life
• The noble chose loyal officials to run
his manor. 
• One official, the seneschal, tended the
fiefs by visiting each regularly. 
• Another official was the bailiff who
managed the peasants in the fields. 
• As poor transportation and frequent
fighting isolated manors, each manor
produced food, clothing, and shelter for
themselves and the noble.
40
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Freemen and Serfs
• Freemen, or peasants who paid the noble
for the right to farm, worked on a manor. 
• Serfs and their descendants also worked
on a manor, but they were a noble’s
property. 
• While serfs could not be driven off the
land and did not have to serve in the
army, they could only gain their freedom
by escaping or buying their freedom. 
• In spite of the difficulties, a serf’s life had
some bright moments.
41
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Freemen and Serfs (cont.)
• By the 1200s, peasants began to use a
three-field system of farming, started to use
a heavy iron plow, and employed the horse
collar which enabled the peasants to grow
more food.
42
Section Assessment
What were some features of a
manor village?
A manor village featured peasant
cottages surrounded by forests,
meadows, pastures, and fields; and
usually had a church, mill, bread
oven, and wine press.
43
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
What rights did freemen have?
They had the right to move around
freely.
44
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
What did serfs contribute to the
manor?
They worked long hours in the fields,
obeyed nobles’ wishes, and gave the
noble part of their crops.
45
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Making Comparisons What
interests did nobles and serfs
have in common?
Answers will vary. One common
interest is that they depended on
each other for survival.
46
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Section Assessment (cont.)
Recreate the diagram on page 378
of your textbook, and use it to
show technological improvements
in farming in the 1200s.
Possible improvements: three-field
system, use of iron plow, invention of
horse collar
47
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Chapter Summary & Study Guide
• Following Charlemagne’s death, kings
began to depend on nobles for food, horses,
and soldiers. 
• Some nobles began to collect their own
taxes, run their own courts, coin their own
money, and raise their own armies. 
• As the power of kings declined, the nobles
took on the duty of defending their land and
people from Viking attacks. 
• By 1000, the kingdoms of western
Europe were divided into thousands of
feudal territories.
49
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Chapter Summary & Study Guide (cont.)
• Under feudalism, landowning nobles gave
vassals land in exchange for loyalty and
military service. 
• Knights followed the code of chivalry and
trained for war by fighting in tournaments. 
• Fiefs were owned by nobles and worked
by peasants. 
• Peasants included freemen and serfs.
While freemen could leave the land if they
wished, serfs were considered a
noble’s property.
50
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Chapter Summary & Study Guide (cont.)
• By the 1200s, improvements in farming
methods helped the peasants to grow
more food.
51
Understanding the Main Idea
Into what three groups were people
divided under feudalism?
People were divided into the clergy,
the nobles, and the peasants and
townspeople under feudalism.
53
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
Who held the political power within
a feudal territory?
The noble who owned the land held
the political power.
54
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
Who usually received a vassal’s
fief when the vassal died?
His oldest son usually received the
fief when the vassal died.
55
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
What was expected of a knight?
A knight was expected to follow the
code of chivalry.
56
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
Why was it necessary for the
people on a manor to produce
everything they needed?
It was necessary because the
manors were isolated from
one another.
57
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
In what two ways could serfs
obtain their freedom?
Serfs could obtain their freedom by
escaping to the towns for more than
a year or by buying their freedom.
58
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
What changes had taken place in
farming by the 1200s?
Peasants began to learn better
farming methods, used the heavy
iron plow, and used horses instead of
slow-moving oxen to plow their fields.
59
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Critical Thinking
What advantages would there be to
being a vassal rather than a lord?
Answers will vary. Advantages
include that vassals had fewer
responsibilities, received a fief, and
had the protection of a noble.
60
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Critical Thinking
Why do you think women provided
the medical care in a fief?
Answers will vary. It is probable that
women provided the medical care
because they were usually there, and
medical care was considered a
domestic concern.
61
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Critical Thinking
What would you have enjoyed about
being a knight? What would you
have disliked?
Answers will vary.
62
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Critical Thinking
How do you think a serf’s life would
be affected by the improved farming
methods of the thirteenth century?
Answers will vary. With the improved
farming methods serfs would have
more time for themselves and with
more food grown, they would
be healthier.
63
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the answer.
Geography in History
Human/Environmental Interaction
The people of the manor made good
use of their natural resources to
support themselves. Predict and
describe how you think manor life
would have changed if a plant
disease had killed all the trees in
an area.
64
Who is not telling the truth here?
Noble 1; “The king gave this manor
to my mother. Here is the paper to
prove it.” Noble 2: “This is my land.
I served the king in battle, was held
hostage in his place, and he
awarded it to me.”
65
Explore online information about the
topics introduced in this chapter.
Click on the Connect button to launch your browser and go to the Human
Heritage: A World History Web site. At this site, you will find interactive
activities, current events information, and Web sites correlated with the
chapters and units in the textbook. When you finish exploring, exit the
browser program to return to this presentation. If you experience difficulty
connecting to the Web site, manually launch your Web browser and go to
http://www.humanheritage.glencoe.com
67
1000 A.D.
Western
Europe
divided into
feudal
territories
814 A.D.
Charlemagne
dies
68
900 A.D.
1100s A.D.
Nobles
defend
themselves
against the
Vikings
Most nobles live in
stone castles
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display
the information.
Trotula of Salerno
c. 1097 A.D.
Doctor
Both noble and peasant women took
care of the sick, but Trotula broke with
tradition by becoming a trained doctor.
She studied and taught at the medical
school at Salerno, Italy. Trotula
specialized in the health of women and
wrote a book called The Diseases of
Women. Her book influenced doctors
for centuries to come. Today she is
considered one of Europe’s early
women of science.
69
Too much!
Guests at a noble’s banquet consumed
huge amounts of food. In the 1340s,
Pope Clement VI gave a feast that
included 13,000 birds, 1,000 sheep,
50,000 fruit pies, and 200 casks of
wine. At the 1403 wedding of Henry IV
of England and Joan of Navarre, the
royal couple tasted about 100
separate dishes.
70
Coats of Arms
To identify themselves in battle,
knights had individual designs, or
“coats of arms,” painted on their
shields and tunics. In noble families,
the coat of arms passed down through
the generations. The flags of some
modern European nations are based
on medieval coats of arms.
71
Peasant Life
Serf Work
72
Click a hyperlink to go to the corresponding section.
Press the ESC key at any time to exit the presentation.
Peasant Life
A typical peasant’s cottage had one
door that opened into a central room
with a pressed dirt floor. Often a
number of animals–piglets, ducklings,
cats, and hens–shared the space with a
married couple and their children. In
cold weather, a cow might be brought
inside to the warmth of the fire.
73
Serf Work
A monk at Canterbury recorded an
English serf’s account of his day:
“I work very hard. I go out at dawn,
driving the oxen to the field, and I yoke
them to the plough. However hard the
winter, I dare not stay home for fear of
my master.”
74
End of Custom Shows
WARNING! Do Not Remove
This slide is intentionally blank and is set to auto-advance to end custom
shows and return to the main presentation.