feudalism ppt

Feudalism in Western EuropeAim/Goal: How did feudalism answer problems

raised by the fall of the Roman Empire?

Fall of Rome

The fall of Rome in 476 A.D. changed the map of Europe.

The once great empire was replaced by hundreds of little kingdoms.

Collapse of the Central Government

During the Roman Empire, there was a central government. It made laws and had armies to protect people.

However, with the fall of Rome, the central government collapsed.

Hundreds of little kingdoms governed in its place.

Document #1

1. Historians called this time period the “Dark Ages,” because ____________

________________________________.2. Since many Europeans forgot what the Greeks

and Romans contributed and many people did not know how to read or write, who became the “teachers” to the people of Europe? The teachers became __________

_____________________________.

TheEarly

MiddleAgeswas a

dangeroustime.

Oh My…What are we going to do?

Document #2

3. Feudalism means ___________________________________________.Europeans created “feudalism” because

_______________________________________________________________________.

4. Self-sufficient means ____________________________________________. Give an example of someone you know who is

self-sufficient. ________________________.

Feudalism

Feudalism was the political, social, economic and military system of the Middle Ages.

In a feudal society, land is exchanged for military service and loyalty.

The ownership of land was the basis or power.

/SERFS/SERFS

LORDS/VASSALS

NO POWER, JUST HAS THE TITLE

People who owned land were called lords.

Lords gave land to lesserlords called vassals.A vassal had to obey

his lord and give militaryservice and loyalty to

his lord.

Lords

Peasants Needed Protection

Peasants were frightened.

They turned to landowners for protection.

Peasants offered their labor in exchange for protection.

These peasants were called serfs.

It was a dangeroustime to be a

peasant. Poorpeople turned

to rich landownerswith armies for

protection.

Serfs A serf was “bound to the land.”

He could not leave his lord’s land.

He was not a slave because he could not be sold.

But he was not free because he could not leave.

Assignment:

Write a paragraph explaining who you would want to be in the European feudal structure (King, Lord, Knight, Serf) and why?