The document outlines the feudal system that developed in Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It describes the hierarchical structure with the king at the top granting land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service. Nobles then granted land to knights and protected peasant farmers and serfs who worked the land in exchange for labor and a portion of production. This system addressed the need for local defense and economic stability after the collapse of centralized government authority.

2. OBJECTIVES
• YOU WILL …
1. ANALYZE THE GOVERNEMENT SYSTEM OF
THE FEUDAL MANORIAL SYSTEM.
2. COMPARE AND CONTRAST HOW IT RELATES
TO THE MODERN LABOR AGREEMENT
3. EXPLAIN HOW THIS SYSTEM DEVELOPED AS A
RESULT OF THE FALL OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE.

3. WARM UP
• READ THIS QUOTE….
• A Feud is the right which a vassal hath in land, or some
immoveable thing of his lord's, to use the same and take the
profits thereof hereditarily: rendering unto his lord such feudal
duties and services as belong to military tenure: the mere
propriety [property] of the soil always remaining unto the
lord".
• IN NO LESS THAN 4 SENTENCES, EXPLAIN
WHAT YOU THINK THIS QUOTE IS SAYING.

4. BURNING QUESTIONS
• EXPLAIN HOW THE FEUDAL SYSTEM IS
CONSTRUCTED.
• USING YOUR KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM TODAYS
LESSON, EXPLAIN WHY THIS SYSTEM FORMED?
• WHAT ARE SOME GOOD AND BAD FEATURES OF
THIS GOVERNMENT SYSTEM?
• WHY DO YOU THINK THE POPE IN ROME HAD IN
SOME WAYS MORE POWER THAN A KING?

5. Germanic invaders raided the western half of the Roman Empire
1. Constant fighting
2. Disruptions in trade
 Cities no longer economic centers
3. Downfall of cities
 Governments collapsed
 Nobles retreat to rural areas
URBAN people move to RURAL areas

6. consequences of population shift to rural areas
literacy declined loss of common language
 Germanic invaders mixed with the Romans
different languages evolved from Latin
-French
-Spanish
breakup of unified empire
 kings couldn’t defend lands
 people loyal to local leaders with armies
only way to be educated was
through Catholic Church

7. REMEMBER:
the feudal system was based on rights and obligations
Lord-the landowner, he gave permission for people
to use his land
Vassal-the person using the land
Fief-granted land
Manor-the lord’s estate

11. King
Nobles
&
Church Officials
Knights
Peasants
Serfs

12. • The land legally belonged to the king

13. • Nobles granted use
of land if they
Swore loyalty to king
Gave military services
to king
• Powerful vassal
• Wealthy
• Controlled Knights

14. Noblewoman
• Could inherit estates from
her husband
• Held little property
Land passed to sons
• Could send knights to war
• If husband was off fighting
 Appoint a Military
commander
Fight as a Warrior
• Basic education

15. Church Official
• Powerful vassal
• Church was the bond
among the divided social
classes
• Peasant families paid a
tax of one-tenth of their
income (tithe) to the
church

16. • Nobles were always fighting each other
Needed skilled warriors to defend land
• Pledged to defend land in exchanged for fiefs
• Wealth from land allowed them to devote lives to war
• Started training at age 7

17. • Worked land
• Cared for animals
• Maintained Estate
• Owed lord
Several workdays a
week
Portion of grain
produced
• Paid high taxes to live on land
• Most traveled no more than
25 miles from where they
were born

18. • Worked next to men in
fields
• Ran households and had
children
• Girls learned household
skills

19. • People who couldn’t leave the
place they were born
• Not slaves
 Couldn’t be bought or sold
- all labor produced belonged to lord
• Lord provided
Housing
Farmland
Protection from bandits
• Created everything the lord
needed
• Most children didn’t survive till
adulthood

20. king
Noble Church
Official
Knights
Peasants/Serfs