After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the social and political landscape of Europe was transformed. Large farms (latifundia) became sanctuaries for people fleeing destroyed cities. Over time, agreements formed between landowners and peasants living on the farms, establishing a feudal system where landowners granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty and service. This new social order structured European society for the next 1000 years, with peasants and serfs bound to manors and providing labor and goods to lords in exchange for military protection. Life for peasants and serfs centered around subsistence farming, paying taxes and dues, and working lands for their lord, while knights and nobility ruled from cast

1. Feudal Europe
What happened after the
“Fall of the Western Roman Empire”
MK 2016

2. Background:
* The Roman Empire split into two Empires, Eastern &Western.
* The Western Roman Empire was under constant attack by
“barbarian tribes”.
* In 476 AD. The capital city of Rome was captured and the last
emperor of the Western Empire was overthrown.
* With the end of the Roman government, civil authority ended.
Law and order no longer existed.
* Infrastructure ( roads, bridges, aqueducts ) was destroyed.
* Most cities were looted and burned.
* Re-distribution of food from the countryside to the cities had
stopped.

3. Picking Up the Pieces
The Roman practice of Latifundia, which had
been bad for the Roman Empire, becomes the
“cradle” of a new civilization in Western
Europe.
These large self-sufficient farms became
sanctuaries for people leaving the destroyed
cities.
New rules regarding working and living would
have to be made on the farms to meet the new
needs of the people and the land owners.
The Land owner wanted loyal workers,
and the people wanted protection.

4. The New Social Arrangement:
New arrivals (unskilled at farming) protection, food, shelter
Land Lords who owned the land protection, work, loyalty
In order to give each group what they needed,
Contracts (agreements) were made. Over time these agreements became
understood as the way things were, and no legal documents or paperwork
was needed.
This new social order becomes the foundation of society in Europe for 1,000
years. (In France it lasts for 1,336 years)
need
need

5. This is Feudalism
Lord (landlord, lord of the land)- grants land
Fief – The land give in exchange for loyalty and service
Vassal – The person who receives the fief and owes
loyalty
and service to his lord.
A person could be a vassal to more than one lord……
causes confusion

6. Feudal Knights
Knights are the trained, armored fighters who protect the lord.
The young son of a noble starts as a page – age 7 – learns to serve
From ages 12 – 18 the young man becomes a squire – learns to fight
About the age of 18 the squire becomes a knight.
Knights swear loyalty to their lord and follow the code of conduct
called chivalry.
Tournaments are “job interviews” for knights seeking vassalage.

7. Social Structure and Feudal Contract
The Pope
Kings
Queens
Nobles
Lords
Knights
Peasant
s
Serfs
Give
land to…
Gives
authority
to…
Give
some of the
land to…
Give
protection
too…
Who then
Who then
Provide
food, loyalty
and service
to…
Provide
protection
and loyalty
to…
Provide $$$,
Knights and
loyalty
Provide $,
Protection
and loyalty
Who then
Who then
Who then Who then

8. The Manor
The land owned by a noble or a highly-favored knight. He was known as the
Lord of the land (landlord). The Lord lived in the manor house or a castle.
The land around the castle that belonged to the lord was called the manor.
This becomes the center of life in feudal Europe. The peasants were born,
lived and died on the land. Their Lord was their government, enforcer of
the law and provider of all physical things. The Christian Church provided
the spiritual needs, and supported compliance with this system.

9. The Lord’s
Manor house
or castle
The village
church
Sheep graze on
the “common
land”
The blacksmith
made iron tools
The mill
ground wheat
into flour.
Serfs worked
collectively to
harvest crops
Serfs grew
individual vegetable
gardens
The Manor

10. The Castle
A Roman farmer’s
home, a manor.
Wealthy Romans who
owned large farms
hired people to
manage the farms
known as landlords.
During the empire
these were
comfortable places for
the landlord to live.
Motte & Bailey & Keep
After the fall of the Western
Roman Empire, farmers needed
protection from roaming
barbarians and rival lords.
The landlord’s family would live
in the motte and in times of
danger move up into the keep on
the bailey.

11. The Castle
As the need for protection grew, Lords built larger and
stronger Keeps surrounded by stone walls. This became a
castle.
Castles were dark, damp, foul smelling places to live.
Protection/safety were the goals of a castle, not comfort.
A castle toiletLord’s Bedchamber
Great Hall

12. Serfs and Peasants
Peasant: A person who owned his land or
was free to have a trade such as a
blacksmith, wheel wright, or cooper.
They paid 10% of their money to the
church and 10% of their crops to the local
lord. They were not bound to one manor;
they could be as mobile as their trade
allowed.
Serf: A person who lived on the lord’s land.
He was not free to move or leave
the land that he farmed for the lord.
Serfs were considered part of the
manor like a house, tree, cow or rock.
But Serfs could not be forced off the
manor and were not slaves. Serfs made up
90% of Feudal populations.

13. Peasant & Serf Life
Houses were usually simple one
room buildings made of the
easiest building materials in the
area; mud, wood, or stone. All
had thatched roofs. (straw)
Farm animals shared the house
with the people at night.
Waddell and Dobb
Stone
wooden

14. Peasant & Serf LifePeasants cooked once
a week to save fuel.
The food was kept in
jars for use during the
week.
The type of food eaten
depended on where
the peasants lived.
Adults ate ½
a loaf of
bread a day
Pottage was
an oatmeal-
like food that
contained
whatever was
available to
put in the pot
Vegetables
from the
peasant’s
garden
Meat was a treat. In
the spring, suckling
pig. Old chickens in
the summer. Rabbits
and small creatures
when possible, and
fish if near water.
Cheese and curd
from milk

15. Peasant & Serf Life
Had to do:
*Work the Lord’s land before
they work their own land.
*Build/repair roads, bridges,
and fences on the manor.
*Gather firewood.
*Pay taxes: inheritance tax,
property tax (taille), head tax,
mill and oven tax.
*Go to war if their Lord goes to
war.
*Attend church and pay
the church tax (tithe)

16. Peasant & Serf Life
Health & Hygiene

17. Farming
In the Roman times farmers would leave
½ of their land fallow each year. They
would grow crops on the other ½.
The Three Field System divided the land
into thirds.
1/3 – planted in the fall with winter crops
rye and winter wheat
1/3 planted in the spring with oats,
barley,
and lentils
1/3 would be left fallow.
This increased the food production by
16%
2nd crop of
the season–
winter wheat
1st crop of
the
season–
spring barley
Fallow field used
for grazing.

18. Towns and Guilds
Medieval towns were:
Small
Crowded
Dirty
Fire-traps
Polluted
Unhealthy
Built around a church
or cathedral
Provided workers
and services for the
church
Peasants, not serfs,
lived in towns
Manufacturing center
Guilds were:
Exclusive
Organized
Strict Enforcers
Merchant guilds
Craft guilds
Created to
preserve and
protect the
rights of their
members
Set prices for
services and
goods
Towns were located next to
rivers for transportation of goods

19. Technology and Invention
FARMING
Heavy plow –
Made it easier
to plow thick
European soil
Horse shoes –
Kept horses
feet from
rotting and
gave them more
traction
INDUSTRY
Windmills –
Grind large
amounts of grain
into flour
Sawmills –
Water -powered
saw blades that
improved and
sped up lumber
production
HOUSEHOLD
Chimney – allows
for cleaner and
safer venting of
smoke from fires
Spinning Wheel –
Improves the
speed and quality
of producing
thread.