Medieval Life

1/24/13

Vocabulary Index

1. Estate - An extensive area of land in the country, usually with a large house, owned by one person or organization.

2. Centralized Government – A style of government where one body has legal authority and is responsible for making all of the decisions for the state.

3. Decentralized Government – A style of government where responsibility and legal authority is spread out to different bodies, such as provinces or counties.

4. Self-Sufficient – Able to provide for your own needs without help from others.

4. Executive – The branch of government responsible for putting a country’s laws into effect.5. Legislative – The branch of government responsible for writing laws of a country6. Judicial – The branch of government responsible for interpreting and explaining the laws of a country.

Pg. 298-302 Reading Questions1. Explain the importance of:

Manor: The land on a manor provided people with everything they needed—most economic activity took place on the manor, so few people ever left. Knight: The warriors of Medieval Europe. Lords relied on knights to do their fighting for them. Chivalry: A knight’s code of honor. Knights were expected to protect the weak, and show courage in every battle. Guild: Groups formed by people who have the same occupation. Guilds made rules about quantity and quality of production that protected their members.

2. What was the main economic activity in manor v. town life?

Manor• Farming and home-made

goods

Town• Trading and manufacturing

3. How were serfs an important part of the manor system?

• Serfs raised crops, livestock, and made other goods. They were bound to the land, meaning they could never be anything but a serf on the manor.

4. Why were knights highly valued in medieval society?

• The middle ages were full of warfare and nobles relied on the military skill and courage of knights.

5. Why did tradespeople form guilds?

• Guilds protected their members from getting taken advantage of, and regulated the quantity and quality of goods.

6. Do you think the lack of long-distance trade hurt society during the Middle Ages? Why or why not?

6. Do you think the lack of long-distance trade hurt society during the Middle Ages? Why or why not?

• Yes, because it reduced interaction among different cultures and prevented groups from exchanging ideas or goods.

Assignment: Design your own manor!Include all of the following, colored and labeled

NEATLY!!!!1. Manor House – Where the lord lives (sometimes a castle)2. Village – Where the serfs and peasants live3. Church4. Pasture – Where animals graze5. Mill – A building with equipment to grind grain into flour6. Workshops – Where people work to create things like fabric, wine,

furniture, etc.7. Blacksmith Forge – Where a smith works with metal (creating

horseshoes, tools, weapons, etc)8. 3 field system – 1) Fallow: Not planted, allowing the soil to recover 2)

Spring Planting: Oats, barley or legumes {beans} 3) Autumn Planting: Wheat, barley or rye

9. Woodland – Hunting was usually reserved for nobles, but sometimes peasants were allowed to use small portions of the woods

10. Pond or river

Exit Slip Quiz

1. Why did serfs work on the land for their lords?

A. They hoped to own it one dayB. In order to have a place to liveC. For military protectionD. Because the lords forced them to

2. Manorialism can best be described as:

A. The political relationships between the king or queen, the nobility, and the peasants.

B. The economic ties between the nobles and the peasants who worked on their lands

C. The Process of how a nobleman’s son in the middle ages could become a knight

D. The land given to monasteries by different governments as a show of loyalty to the church

3. Which of the following best describes a fief?

A. The income raised by the peasantsB. The peasants who worked the farm landC. The oath of loyalty sworn to the monarchD. The estate that was granted to the vassal

-Attacks by Vikings and other invaders-Weakening of the central government

-Decision of nobles to take over local defense

4. The list above is describing:

A. The economic consequences of feudalismB. The development of social classes during

feudalismC. The political relationships under feudalismD. The reasons for the development of

feudalism

5. Governmental power in a feudal society was:

A. Held by a parliament, which was elected by the landowners and required the approval of the king

B. Weak and decentralized with legal authority granted to those swearing allegiance to a lord or king

C. Enforced by the military and the church working together for the benefit of the lower class

D. Highly centralized with the king making all legislative and executive decisions

6. The political order under feudalism was dependent upon the relationship between lords and their vassals. The responsibility of the vassal

included:

A. An agreement to keep the lower classes under control

B. An oath of loyalty and a pledge of military service

C. The promise to spread Christianity to their landsD. The payment of taxes to the king or queen of

the country

7. Feudalism is an example of:

A. An industrial economyB. Local governmentC. A monarchyD. A religious empire

8. Most people living on manors of Medieval Europe obtained the needs for their daily life:

A. By traveling to the citiesB. From traveling merchantsC. By producing their own suppliesD. From the lords and landowners

9. How did the collapse of the Roman Empire create the conditions for Feudalism?

A. The destruction of Roman cities drove the population into more rural areas

B. The loss of a central government created the need for local systems of power

C. The spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire gave more power to local churches

D. The abandonment of Roman Roads created the need for new means of trade and transportation.

10. How did owning the land and controlling the labor of the serfs affect medieval European lords?

A. It required the use of the lords personal fortunes to keep the farms going

B. It forced them to develop more efficient ways to grow food

C. It gave them political power and an army of farmers

D. It led religious officials to demand that lords provide religious instruction to the serfs