Feudalism and Manorialism
E. Napp
Objective: To identify and explain significant characteristics of the feudal system in
Medieval Europe
Do Now: Multiple-choice questions from previous lessons
1. In western Europe, feudalism developed
4. Feudalism involved all of the following
after the
EXCEPT
(1) Roman Empire collapsed
(A) A commitment by a vassal to serve his
(2) Renaissance began
lord in war and to give council
(3) city of Constantinople fell
(B) A commitment by a lord to defend his
(4) Mongols invaded
vassal militarily and in legal proceedings
(C) The grant by a lord of a fief, control of
2. The term feudalism is best defined as a
land and its peasants, to his vassal
(1) holy war between Christians and
(D) Social mobility
Muslims
(2) process in which goods are traded for
5. A manor was all of the following
other goods
EXCEPT
(3) division of political power between three (A) An economic unit.
separate branches
(B) Lands divided into two or three large
(4) system in which land is exchanged for
fields, and further divided into strips for
military service and loyalty
cultivation.
(C) A jurisdiction under the authority of a
3. What is a primary characteristic of a
lord.
feudal society?
(D) A unit of the church.
(1) a representative government
(2) economic equality for all
(3) protection of individual rights
(4) an exchange of land for services
Feudal lords and knights lived in a manor
house on a large estate. The economy that grew
up around the lord's home was known as
manorialism. Under this system, everyone had a
well-defined place in the social structure. Many
nobles became knights, mounted warriors, who
lived according to a code of conduct called
chivalry. They were expected to be honest,
brave, and loyal to their word. Most peasants
were serfs, meaning they could not leave their
lord's lands without permission. The serfs
farmed and provided manual and military labor
for the lord, and in return, he protected them
and gave them a few acres to farm for
themselves. ~regentsprep.org
Questions:
Where did feudal lords and knights
live?
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What was manorialism?
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Who were knights?
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What was chivalry?
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What could serfs not do?
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What did serfs do?
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Cornell Notes Outline: Feudalism and Manorialism (Add Key Words and Summaries)
The Key Words:
The Summaries:
The Notes:
I.
Feudalism
A. It was the political and military system of the
Middle Ages
1- Land was exchanged for military service
a) To increase the size of a lord’s army,
land was given to lesser lords
b) In exchange, lesser lords provided
soldiers
c) A lesser lord was called a vassal
d) Land was power
B. There was no central government
1- Local leaders made decisions
2- Kings were too weak to control their
territories
3- Kings needed the help of lords and
vassals
II.
Manorialism
A. It was the economic system of the Middle Ages
1- A manor was part of a fief
a) A fief was all of the lord’s land
b) A manor was the part of the lord’s
land where the people lived and
worked
c) A manor was self-sufficient.
1. The manor produced all of
people’s needs
III.
It had a fixed or rigid class system
A. There was no social mobility
1- A person was born a lord or a serf
a) A serf was bound to his lord’s land
b) The children of serfs were serfs
c) Serfs could not change their social
status
Please read the passage below and answer the questions:
Under feudalism, the king owned all the land. But he needed loyal nobles to serve him. He
needed nobles to provide armies. The king gained loyalty by giving nobles land. The
nobles could then give land to other people and ask for their loyalty. Since warfare
increased, armies were essential.
The kings and nobles who gave land were called lords. The nobles who received land
were called vassals. Vassals promised loyalty to their lords. They promised to serve their
lords and help them in battle. This system of exchanging land for military service was
called feudalism. It existed in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages
began with the fall of Rome and lasted for approximately 1,000 years. It is important to
remember that a central government did not exist in Western Europe after the fall of the
Western Roman Empire. It is also important to remember that warfare between the many
kingdoms of Western Europe was frequent and that in a time of war, armies are important.
1- Who owned all the land?
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2- What did the owner of all the land need?
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3- How did he gain loyalty?
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4- Who were lords?
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5- Who were vassals?
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6- Define feudalism.
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7- When did feudalism exist in Western Europe?
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8- What no longer existed after the fall of Rome?
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9- Why was warfare frequent during the Middle Ages?
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10- What is important during a time of war?
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During the Middle Ages, most people lived on manors. A manor consisted of the
lord’s house and the peasants living around it. Each manor produced its own food,
clothing, and shelter. Serfs gave their lord part of their harvest in return for the use of
land and other services they needed. In exchange, the lord protected the serfs from
attacks by outsiders. Each lord had complete power over the serfs who lived on his
manor. Serfs were bound to the land (could not leave their lords’ land) and had no
voice in most matters. A manor was self-sufficient because the people who lived on it
grew, raised, or made nearly everything that they needed. They rarely traded. They
made their own clothing, cut their own wood, and raised all the food that they ate.
11- What was a manor?
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12- Provide examples of the manor’s self-sufficiency.
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Word Bank:
Feudalism
Knight
Lord
Vassal
Serf
Manorialism
Trade
Warfare
1- Using the chart and your knowledge of Social Studies, what is a rigid class system?
(Hint: A rigid class system is a fixed class system.)
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2- What does the following statement mean: “There was no social mobility”?
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