Feudalism

Sorry didn't post this just made it a draft my b!

• Feudalism studies the relationship between landowners and warriors; terms used by historians to describe governmental system
• Warriors pledge allegiance to a lord, who would in turn give that knight land
• Lord would grant a fief (property) to the knight, who then become lord's vassal(servant)- this was feudal compact
• Vassall must fight for lord when he needs  it and attend his court once a month

Homage and Knighthood

• A vassal was required to pay homage to his lord, usually this meant kneeling down and taking lord;s hands in his while speaking an oath of loyalty
• Men were apprenticed to older knights before they could become full knight themselves
• When a knight died, his fief would revert to his son, through his lord would be protector of that son if he was underage, or if it was a daughter

The Feudalization of the Church

• Some clergy were known to fight as knights themselves

Feudal States

• Barons were lords of large territories who usually paid homage to a king, next step higher then lord
• Often barons army could outnumber that of a king, which kept a check on kings power
• Divine right of the king gave him power over his vassals, no matter how much land theyhad
• In countries like France and England the kings built up enough land and power to rule effectively over their barons

Manroial Estate:

• Medieval society was divided into 3 estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people
• Usually peasantry farmed on large plantations known as "manors" which were owned by a lord or lady of the nobility
• Iron plows and water powered grinding mills helped with agricultural productions, but yield was still miniscule by today's standards
• To maintain helft of the soil, the "Three field system" was used where two fields were lanted on (one in spring, one in fall) and one field was left to reconstitute its fertilityt then they were rotated
• Villages spring up on and around manors with small cottages for the peasants and a large manor house for lord and lady

People of the Manor

• Lord oversaw major agricultural issues but delegated everyday overseeing to his stewards or bailiffs
• Lady of house ran household operatiions, oversaw servants, entertained guests and ran the manor when her husband was away
• Most peasants were serfs, meaning they were bound to the land, to their lords for labor service a few days each week
• Serfs were responsible for "internal colonization" of europe that is the cultivating and settling of previously uninhabited land

Growth of Trade

• Agricultural boom after 1000 alloed for the establishment of many towns across Europe
• Farm produce and animals were sold in towns and people with wealth bought their luxury items there
• Items like psiced and silks came overland forom port cities like Venice and Genoa who recieved the goods from eastern sapitals like Constantinople
• Europeans exported wool linen horses weaponry and slaves 
• Europeans and Low countries were practically known for trade in wool and cloth 

Location and Appearance of Towns

• Most medieval towns were surrounded by fortified walls
• Residences also sprang up outside the walls in the suburbs
• Towns were dominated by main church and central marketplace
• Buildings for the craft guilds and the wealthiest families would also be in the center of the town

Life of Townspeople

• Thorugh townspeople were free, unlike serfs they still had hierachy: merchants at the top, then skilled craftsmen and artisans, then unskilled laborers and apprenctices 

The Guilds

• Merchants, craftsmen and artisans formed their own groups called guilds which regulated their trade and protected its members
• Craftsmen were classified as masters, journeymen and apprenctices
• Once became a master after spending years learning as an apprenctice working as a paid jounrey man for a numnber of years, and completing his "masterpiece"