FEUDAL EUROPE- EUROPE AFTER 476CE

AND REBUILDING SOCIETY

 
 Respond to the Prompt-

Imagine you were voted to be the class

president/leader and faced the
following event. If the class was
stranded on a deserted island with no
way to leave but all the supplies
needed to survive, how would you
rebuild society?

LESSON STARTER
VOCABULARY SCAVENGER
HUNT
1. Search for kids.wordsmyth.net
2. Pair up with a partner next to you to complete this assignment
3. Work together to find an appropriate definition and create an appropriate
drawing for the list of terms in your guided notes
 FROM BARBARIANS OUTSIDE
CIVILIZATION TO FOUNDERS OF
SOCIETY
Recall: Who were the
barbarians? Could the
barbarians be considered
civilized? Why or why not?

Where were the barbarians

coming from in relation to the
Roman Empire?
 The Germanic tribes and their
leaders offer:
1. Safety from other threatening
groups
2. Stable leadership and codes of
conduct
3. Provisions and supplies
4. Social structure

On the left is a picture of Clovis I,

King of the Francs (barbarians) and
on the right is a bust of Julius Caesar
FROM BARBARIANS (Roman emperor). Compare and
contrast the depictions of the two
OUTSIDE CIVILIZATION TO leaders.

FOUNDERS OF SOCIETY
WHAT WAS
ONE LARGE Recall: The Roman Empire
EMPIRE IS was so large it had to be
NOW MANY split into two halves.
SMALL Predict: What do you think
KINGDOMS will happen to the Western
OR Roman Empire’s territory
MANORS and the peoples living
there?
WHAT WAS ONE LARGE EMPIRE
IS NOW MANY SMALL KINGDOMS
OR MANORS

The Manor after the fall of Rome:

1. Small, parcel of territory
2. People work on the manor for one person
3. Most people live outside of the Castle walls
4. Lightly populated
The City prior to the fall of Rome:
5. Densely populated
6. Most lived within the physical walls and boundaries of
the city
7. Safer than the Manor
 Greek and Latin classical
works that survived the sacking
of Rome and the dissolution of
the Western Empire were
protected by the Catholic
Church and its priests and
monks. Monasteries not only
made copies of sacred and
classical texts, but also made
contributions towards
philosophy and science.
Monasteries served as a place
for both spiritual and academic
growth and learning for many
Europeans at this time.
THE CHURCH’S ROLE:
PRODUCTION AND
PROTECTION OF KNOWLEDGE
 Often, the Church and the
Kings of Europe shared a
close and intertwined
relationship.
The Pope- God’s Rep. on
Earth and interpreter of
divine will
Kings- Rule the Europeans
and are the lead political
authorities in Europe
Consider: Who has ultimate
THE CHURCH’S ROLE: authority, the kings or the
Pope? Why do you think so?
GOD, CHURCH, AND
POLITICS
FEUDAL SOCIETY: THE
BOTTOM MOST LEVELS OF
SOCIETY
Serfs
1. Tied to the land and could
never leave the land
2. Inherited like property
3. Farmed the land
4. Could never own land
5. Produced crops to be given to
their lord and sold
6. Received protection and
allowed to keep a sliver of
their harvest for themselves
Peasants
1. Not tied to the land
2. Could leave the manor
3. Farmed the land
4. Typically, did not have
land
5. Produced crops to be
given to their lord and sold
6. Received protection and
allowed to keep a sliver of
their harvest for
themselves
 Artisans and Merchants
1. Produced or made goods
2. Sometimes tradesmen like leather workers,
smiths, potters, and butchers
3. Sometimes travelled abroad, may even travel
the Silk Road
4. Business owners, may have owned some land,
opportunity to have more wealth than a peasant
5. More respectable than the peasants and serfs
6. Received protection and business from the
FEUDAL SOCIETY: manor’s lord or kingdom’s nobility

THE BOTTOM
7. Life could be hard if you did not make a profit

LEVEL OF SOCIETY
 Knights or Vassals

1. Served as protectors of the lord’s manor

2. Enjoyed a significantly better lifestyle than that of peasants and

serfs

3. Defended the peasantry and the noble’s land

4. Receives money and sometimes territory and serfs as

compensation for services

5. May even receive a noble title and coat of arms as reward for
excellent service

6. May die in battle against the lord’s enemies or be executed for

unbecoming behavior while in the lord’s service

7. May have to oversee the peasants and their plights

FEUDAL SOCIETY: THE

MIDDLE LEVELS OF SOCIETY
 Lords and Nobility
1. Own at least one manor and have many serfs and
peasants to tend the lands
2. Wealth is accumulated through conquest, trade, and
alliance with other nobles
3. Required to serve the king as a vassal and come to
court to participate in political matters
4. Life is safer than the peasants and knights, but can
still be dangerous as other nobles seek each others’
power and wealth
5. Obligated to provide safety and an environment for
the lower classes to produce for the king’s good
6. Obligated to pay taxes and tribute to the king
FEUDAL SOCIETY: 7. Pays tithe to the Catholic Church and funds
projects around the realm.
THE TOP LEVELS 8. Receives wealth, prestige, and more land

OF SOCIETY
 Clergy
1. Typically, are paying little to no tax
2. Seen as the moral and social
authority of the realm
3. Has time and resources to pursue art,
philosophy, religious studies,
naturalism, and scientific thought
when it comes around
4. Offers a pathway for education
regardless of gender
5. Gives material support to the poorest
of society
6. Receives money and possessions
from all levels of society

FEUDAL SOCIETY: THE 7. Cannot marry nor bear children

8. Sometimes reside in isolated
TOP LEVELS OF environments

SOCIETY
FEUDAL SOCIETY: THE
TOPMOST LEVEL OF SOCIETY
King
1. Biggest decision maker politically and
socially outside of the Church
2. Reaps the most benefit from society
and offers stable leadership and
general safety to his subjects
3. Holds most wealth outside of the
Catholic Church
4. May die in battle, be assassinated, or
lose the Pope’s blessing to rule
(Divine Right questioned, negated)
Pope
1. Biggest decision maker politically
and socially, head of the Church
2. Reaps the most benefit from society
and offers stable leadership
3. Holds the most wealth inside the
Church
4. Bestows his blessing and adds
legitimacy to the king’s right to rule