Thursday, May 23, 2013

May 23, 2013

Notes:

Feudalism –
Term used by historians to describe the governmental system and the relationships between landowners and warriors

Warrior, also known as knights, would pledge his alliance to a lord, who give that knight land

The lord would grant fief to the knight, then they’d become the lord’s vassal = this was called the feudal compact

Fief= property
Vassal= servant

The lord might fight for the lord when it is needed and attend the lord’s court once a month (meet with the lord and discuss things.)

Vassal would pay homage to the lord= kneeling down and taking the lords hands while speaking about his loyalty to him

Men were apprentices  to old knights before coming full knights themselves

When a knight died, his fief would go to his son. The lord would be the protector of the son or daughter if they were underage.

Some clergy were knights themselves too

Barons= the next level up from lords, they were lords of large territories who paid homage to the king

often barons army could outnumber the kings, which kept check on the kings power

medieval society was divided into three 'estates': the clergy, the nobility, and the common people

Manors: big plantation that were owned by a lord or a lady 

peasants would do the farming on manors

iron plows and water powered grinding mills, helped with farming

'three field system'-  two fields were planted (one in the fall, one in the spring)
one field was left to reconstitute its fertility- then it was rotated

villages were on and around manors with small cottages for the peasants 

a large manor house was for the lord and lady

this was a period of time where there wasn't any progress

the lord oversaw major agriculture issues

the lady of the house ran house hold operations, entertained guests, and oversaw servants

most peasants were serfs, meaning they were bound to land and to their lords for 'labor service' a few days each week

the serfs were responsible for the 'internal colonization' of Europe, that is the cultivating and settling of previously uninhabited land

the agricultural boom after 1000 allowed for the establishment of many towns across Europe

farm produce and towns were sold in towns and people with wealth brought their luxury items there

Europeans exported wool, linen, horses, weaponry, and slaves

spices and silks came overland from port cities like Venice and Genoa  who received the good from eastern capitals like Constantinople. 

most medieval towns were surrounded by walls

residences also spray up outside the walls called suburbs

towns had main church and marketplace

buildings for the craft guilds and the wealthiest families would also be in the center of the town

townspeople- were free unlike serfs, they still had a hierarchy. merchants were at the top, then it was skilled craftsmen and artisans, then unskilled labors and apprentices

guild-
merchant, craftsmen, artisans formed their own groups called guilds which regulated their trade and protected its members

craftsmen were classified as masters, journeymen and apprentices

one became a master, after spending years learning as a apprentice, working as a paid journeyman , and then completing his masterpiece 

guilds went to festivals, social organizations, and provided for charities





















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