Feudalism
CHAPTER 17
SECTION 3
M & M SIMULATION
Simulation
Historical Situation
Each student was assigned an order & moving up was
impossible.
A person was born into his or her order & moving up
was almost impossible.
M&Ms
Represented work, taxes, money, goods or
loyalty/fealty.
Peasants/Serfs had to sit on the floor behind a noble.
Peasants were at the bottom of society and lived on
the land of a noble.
The knights who owned the land worked by the
peasant confiscated M&Ms from each serf.
The peasants had to pay the knights by working on
their land or giving them crops each year .
The knights gave their lord M&Ms.
Knights lived on the land of higher nobles, or lords,
and had to either pledge loyalty/military service or pay
taxes to the lord.
Lords gave the king M&Ms.
The lords were vassals to the king and had to pledge
their loyalty or fealty to him in return for the land.
Everyone gave 1 M&M to the “Church.”
Everyone tithed money to the church because they
believed it would help them get to heaven.
The “Viking” took M&Ms from each person.
Invaders came unannounced and took animals, goods,
and anything else they could find.
WHY DID FEUDALISM DEVELOP?
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Invaders began raiding the
Frankish kingdom in the
800s
Armies were unable to
defend personal lands, so
nobles began forming their
own armies
Knights were given fiefs
(land) in return for military
service or loyalty
Vassal: someone who swore
loyalty or support in return
for land
THE ROLE OF VASSALS
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Feudalism was based on
“fealty” or loyalty
"I promise on my faith that I will in the future be faithful to the
lord, never cause him harm and will observe my homage to
him completely against all persons in good faith and without
deceit.“
KNIGHTS
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Many vassals were
knights, or warriors.
In return for land, they
fought
Supposed to follow
Code of Chivalry
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR (1027-1087) BRINGS
FEUDALISM TO ENGLAND
MEDIEVAL MANOR OR FIEF
LIVES OF PEASANTS, SERFS & NOBLES
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Lords of the manor controlled everything
Peasants worked the land; at least 3 days/week of labor
on the Lord’s land
Long hours-gave portion of crops to nobles to pay for use
of village’s mill, winepress, bread oven, etc.
Peasants also sold their goods to each other
Peasants who were SERFS were bound to the land; if they
left, the noble could have them brought back and
punished
SERFS had to get permission from nobles to marry
Nobles lived in a manor house or castle with servants,
Noblemen ran the manor, while women ran the household
(overseeing food and other household needs)
RETURN OF TRADE & GROWTH OF CITIES
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Feudalism brought back security of life
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Nobles repaired roads/bridges & enforced law
Towns grew into cities as population increased
WHY DID POPULATION INCREASE?
Inventions:
• Horse collar
• Plow
• Horse shoe
• Water Mills
• Windmills
MEDIEVAL MARKETPLACE
As farming improved
peasants grew more food
Population increased
Food surplus gave people
something to barter/trade
Towns grew into cities as
trade increased
New urban class of people
with money arose