Development of Feudalism
After Rome fell, which group of people often invaded Western Europe?
Answer: Germanic tribes / Vikings / Magyars
Who was at the very top of the feudal system?
Answer: The King
What code of honor were knights expected to follow?
Answer: Chivalry
What was the center of feudal life and economy?
Answer: The Manor
True or False – Knights started training at age 7.
Answer: True – they began as pages
What happened to trade and cities after Rome’s fall?
Answer: They declined
Who pledged loyalty to the king in exchange for land?
Answer: Lords / Nobles
What was the main weapon of a knight?
Answer: Sword / Lance
What did peasants give to lords in exchange for protection?
Answer: Crops / taxes / work
What is another word for peasants who were 'tied to the land'?
Answer: Serfs
Why did Europeans turn to feudalism?
Answer: For safety and protection
What was land given to a lord called?
Answer: A fief
Knights often participated in contests of skill called...?
Answer: Tournaments or jousts
Could serfs legally leave the land they worked?
Answer: No
Which animal was especially valuable for farming?
Answer: Oxen / Horses
Who was crowned Emperor in 800 CE, uniting much of Europe?
Answer: Charlemagne
Who protected the peasants in exchange for land or payment?
Answer: Knights
What did a lord give a knight in exchange for military service?
Answer: Land / fief
Name two jobs peasants did on the manor.
Answer: Farming, blacksmithing, carpentry, milling, etc.
What was the name of the large house where the lord lived?
Answer: Manor house or castle
Which powerful institution helped keep order after Rome’s fall?
Answer: The Catholic Church
What group worked the land and made up most of the population?
Answer: Peasants / Serfs
Name one responsibility knights had besides fighting.
Answer: Protecting peasants, serving their lord, enforcing laws, etc.
What did manors have to be in order to survive invasions?
Answer: Self-sufficient
If you were a serf, what was the best way to gain freedom?
Answer: Run away and live in a town for a year and a day