Western Europe and Feudalism

Question 1

Christianity:

Answer 1

the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus

Question 2

Charlemagne

Answer 2

the leader of the Franks from 768 to 814 CE, who unified most of the Christian lands of Europe into a single empire

Question 3

Feudalism

Answer 3

the economic and political system of medieval Europe in which people exchanged loyalty and labor for a lord’s protection.

Question 4

Fief:

Answer 4

land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service.

Question 5

Serf:

Answer 5

a peasant who could not leave the lord’s land on which he or she was born and worked.

Question 6

What are Charlemagne’s accomplishments?

Answer 6

• He was a good leader.
• He was 6 feet 4 inches tall.
• He ruled for 40 years and led the Franks from 768 to 814 c.e.
• He united all the Christian lands of Europe to one empire.
• He protected the peasants in return for land.

Question 7

How did Charlemagne’s relationship with the Catholic Church benefit both parties?

Answer 7

Pope Leo III helped Charlemagne build his empire.
The church was a very important part of the society, so the church’s support to Charlemagne showed the people that “God is on his side” and that was good for Charlemagne because people were more loyal to him. The benefit of the church was that Charlemagne protected them with his army.

Question 8

Why was there a need for order after the death of Charlemagne in 814?

Answer 8

The Muslims, Magyars and the Vikings were attacking Western Europe from all sides. The Vikings are soldiers like barbarians and raided towns and the people and they came from Denmark and Norway. The Muslims came from the middle East and Northern Africa and entered from the bottom. The Magyars came from the East, Asia. So the people of Western Europe were being attacked from all directions and they needed to protect their property and themselves.

Question 9

Where did monarchs get their power?

Answer 9

They believed that God gave them the right to rule. But some had to rely on their vassals to provide them with knights and soldiers.

Question 10

Sketch or write a typical manor house in medieval Europe. Be sure to include not only the house but its surroundings

Answer 10

manor house;castle, farmland, church, mill, villages, far from the main town.

Question 11

Describe the three basic stages for a boy to become a knight.

Answer 11

1st PAGE: 0-7 yrs old

• Stayed at the castle of the lord
• Learn to ride a horse
• Learn about religion
• Learn to sing, dance, and music

2nd SQUIRE

• Learns to fight
• Polishes armor, sword,
• Take care of horses
• Served the lord

3rd KNIGHT

• Prayed the night before
• Morning, they bathed
• Dressed in white tunic and long shirt (white shows purity)
• During ceremony they knelt and said vows
• Lord touched the shoulder and knighted them.

Question 12

What responsibilities did knights have in the feudal system?

Answer 12

• They lived by a strong code of Chivalry
• They are loyal to their lord, church and
• To be fair and protect the peasants
• Respect to women
• Had Jousts and tournaments

Question 13

What were the responsibilities of peasants in the feudal system?

Answer 13

• Free peasants rented land to farm
• Unfree peasants farmed the lord’s fields and couldn’t live on the lord’s manor
• Peasant women cared for their children and home
• Most peasants had small homes
• They paid a yearly tax
• When women married their husband had to pay a fee called merchet.
• They had to grind their grain at the lord’s mill

Question 14

Why is William the Conqueror considered an important monarch?

Answer 14

When William defeated his cousin, he brought feudalism to England from Europe.

Question 15

What responsibilities did lords have in the feudal system?

Answer 15

• They managed and defended the land and the people who worked it
• They acted as judges in manor courts and had the power to punish those who broke the law.
• They appointed officials to make sure the village was doing duties

Question 16

What was the role of noblewomen in the feudal system?

Answer 16

• They had the same duties as the lords except for fighting
• They raised and trained their children
• Responsible for their household

Question 17

code of chivalry

Answer 17

honor and loyal; an honorable and polite way to act

Question 18

What were some of the difficulties or challenges of being a peasant or serf?

Answer 18

• Choose to be free or unfree
• Unfree needed to pay taxes
• Free =needed to farm and women take care of house and kids
• Lived in small houses; One family in 1 room
• They had no light

Question 19

Did feudalism create a stable form of government?

Answer 19

Yes, it did.

Question 20

Under feudalism, was Europe protected from outside threats?

Answer 20

Europe was protected because they had armies.

Question 21

Did feudalism allow for the production and trade of essential goods?

Answer 21

Most food and goods were produced by the peasants. The lord gave them the materials. There was no trade, only salt was traded to preserve the meats.

Question 22

Did feudalism foster wealth and well-being?

Answer 22

It did not foster wealth for all people. The lords and landowners were wealthy. Although the peasants had a home and food they always remained peasants and could never become wealthy. If you are born a peasant you would be a peasant for life. So wealth also depended to what kind of family you were born in.

Question 23

Under feudalism, were people able to better their circumstances through hard work or good fortune?

Answer 23

A lord may be granted land if he did good work but peasants would always remain peasants even if they worked hard.

Question 24

Social class in the Middle ages was determined by………………

Answer 24

Birth

Question 25

The Franks grew powerful because of their new style of war that used….what?

Answer 25

knights and horseback

Question 26

Early Middle Ages begins from what year and ends?

Answer 26

from 476 - 1000

Question 27

High Middle Ages what year does it begin and end?

Answer 27

1000 - 1300

Question 28

Late Middle Ages begins and ends?

Answer 28

1300-1450

Question 29

What is the Timeline of Events during the Middle Ages?

Answer 29

476 -Fall of Rome

481 -Clovis becomes king of the Franks. Early Middle Ages

768-814 = Charlemagne rules and unifies most of Catholic Europe. Early Middle Ages

1066 = William of Normandy conquers England. High Middle Ages

Question 30

Which medieval time period was the shortest? how many years did it last?

Answer 30

The Late Middle Ages and it lasted for 150 years.

Question 31

In what order did the 3 leaders reign?

Answer 31

Clovis, Charlemagne, William of Normandy

Question 32

How did Feudalism create order to the lord or noble women?

Answer 32

The lord protected and gave loyalty to the monarch and in return they received land or fief.

They managed and defended the land and the people who worked on it.

They acted as judges in manor courts and had the power to punish those who broke the law.

They made sure the village was doing their duties.

They had a very good quality of life;land,homes. They were rewarded for their hard and good work.

Question 33

To a KNIGHT how does feudalism create order in their life?

Answer 33

here you mention the stages to becoming a knight and their responsibilities in each stage.

The lords provided all the supplies to the knights.

Question 34

To a PEASANT, how does feudalism create order in his life?

Answer 34

They are protected by the lords and the kights. They could choose to be free or unfree. If they choose to be unfree they needed to pay taxes. Their quality of life was hard and poor because no matter how hard they worked they would never have the lands and lifestyle of a lord. Since they were born a peasant they would always live like a peasant, poorly.. They lived in a house with 1 room and had no lights. Many times they would breath smoke.