Vocabulary
A plot of land exchanged for loyalty to a ruler
Fief
If you were a lord during the time of feudalism you would most likely _______________.
a. Be a king
b. Pay homage to a serf
c. Live in a manor
d. Go to a peasant's home for dinner
C. Live in a Manor
Honor or respect given to someone of higher social status
Homage
A self-sufficient economic and social estate controlled by a lord or knight. It served as the basic unit of economic organization in medieval Europe—a system known as manorialism.
Manor
Was a heavily armed mounted warrior who served as the elite military force of the Middle Ages. Knights occupied a unique position in the feudal hierarchy: they were minor nobles who served as vassals to higher-ranking lords.
Knight
Which of the following is NOT used to describe feudalism?
a. Land for service
b. Barbarians
c. Kings and Queens as leaders
d. Fief
C. Kings and Queens as Leaders
The leaders of a feudalistic society who pledged to protect and be loyal to the vassals
King and Queen
What is the hierarchy of the feudal system? Explain each level and place them in the correct order from highest rank to lowest rank.
A system of government in which land is exchanged for loyalty and services
Feudalism
A large fortified place on a manor that includes a castle and often a town was called a ________________.
a. Keep
b. Courtyard
c. Fortress
d. Moat
A farm worker who was bound to live and work on his lord's land
Serf
What is the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta ("Great Charter") is a landmark legal document issued in 1215 that established the fundamental principle that everyone, including the monarch, is subject to the law.
Vassal
The _________ often took control of the manor in the lord's absence.
a. Lady
b. King
c. Knight
d. Serf
a. Lady
A young boy in his first stage of training as a knight
Pageboy
Imagine being a son of a lord during the Middle Ages. Describe your training to become a knight and your life once you became a knight.
Possible answer: A knight in training was sent away at the age of seven or eight
to live with a relative and serve as a pageboy. Pageboys waited on tables, practiced riding skills and fighting with toy swords. At age 12, a pageboy became a squire, a personal servant to a knight. A squire helped the knight into his uniform, cared for his horse, and cleaned his weapons. Between the ages of 16 and 20, a squire would become a knight. Once a young man became a knight, he had to be ready for wartime. They were the lords’ vassals and their job was to protect the lord from his enemies. To stay in shape, knights competed in tournaments to practice their skills, earn money, and gain honor.
Legally bound to the lord's land (the manor). They could not leave the land, marry, or change their occupation without the lord's permission. While legally bound, they were not slaves—the lord could not buy or sell them individually away from the land.
Peasant
A _________________ was a member in the feudal system who protected the Lords, and Kings.
a. Luke Skywalker
b. Knight
c. Fortress
d. Siege
b. knight
A personal servant to a particular knight
Squire
Legal Process of Magna Carta
How a Feudal Trial Worked After 1215
Accusation & Warrant: An individual could not be arbitrarily seized without a credible claim or evidence (Clause 38 stated no magistrate could put someone on trial upon his own unsupported word).
Tribunal: The accused appeared before a court made up of their peers (for barons, the royal court; for commoners, local manorial or county courts).
Verdict: The court determined guilt or innocence according to established law rather than kingly order.
Proportional Punishment: Clause 20 mandated that fines and penalties fit the severity of the offense, ensuring a person's livelihood or basic tools of trade could not be taken away for minor infractions.