Feudalism

FEUDALISMLeading up to the Revolution

FEUDALISM The political and social system of

medieval Europe, in which vassals received land from overlords in exchange for armed warriors and other services.

RISE OF FEUDALISM Middle Ages was characterized by

economic and population decline and by external threat.

People began to turn to local landed aristocrats, or nobles, to protect them

LORD – VASSAL – FIEF RELATIONSHIP The relationship between

lords and vassals made up a big part of the political and social structure of the feudal system

Vassals had certain duties to perform for the lord

All nobles were ultimately vassals of the king.

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FEUDAL CONTRACT

LORDS

VASSALS

GIVEPROTECTION TO

GIVE SERVICE TO

FEUDALISM – POLITICAL Decentralized Feudal Lord in control Manor/guild make decisions Political life is localized

FEUDALISM - POLTICAL Who makes the decisions? What types of decisions do they make?

FEUDALISM - ECONOMIC Agricultural Domestic System Self-sufficient Money spent for political,

military, and religious reasons Labor is a relationship to class No competition

FEUDALISM - ECONOMIC Describe the type of economy that they

might have had. What are the benefits and disadvantages of this system?

Who made the following decisions? What to produce? How to produce it? For whom to produce it?

FEUDALISM - SOCIAL Money making seen

as “evil” Upper class and

lower class Nobility respected No mobility

FEUDAL SYSTEM

THINK-PAIR-SHARE What differences exist between feudal

society and our modern society today in areas related to politics, economy, and social classes?

In what ways are they similar? Also, think about the movement of

goods, services, and ideas in both societies