Warm-Up B2

Answer the 2 questions in the first concept column - Feudalism.

EconomicsManorialism

• An economic system of obligations (promises) that govern the relationships between lords and peasants (serfs) in medieval Europe.

• The manor system is about who works the land, and how the fruit of that labor is divided up.

What is the manor system?

EconomicsA manor on the fief

• When a lord gave something to a vassal it was often called a fief. A fief was usually a piece of land that the vassal would become responsible for.

• This fief would have a manor on it. A manor is a self-sustaining community.

What is a fief?

What is a manor?

EconomicsTrade

• Remember, feudalism was a political solution to the dangerous conditions in Western Europe.

• Manorialism was the economic response to that danger.

• Trade was far to dangerous; communities could not trust that trade would ever make it to them. As a result, communities had to produce everything they needed. A manor served this function.

What was feudalism and manorialism a response to?

What was trade like during the early part of Medieval Europe.

EconomicsSerfs • Serfs were given small parcels of

land to grow crops for their family and to sell – but the land still belonged to the lord, so they could not sell it.

• Some of this produce also had to be paid to the lord of the land as taxes. Also, if a serf wanted to use any of the lords resources (like a mill for grinding grain) then they would pay a fee with some of their produce.

What did a serf receive from the lord?

What was the serf required to do with some of the produce from their lands?

EconomicsProduce • Before a serf was able to work in their

fields, they were required to work the fields that belonged only to the lord.

• Everything that grows on the lord’s fields goes to the lord. The serf is not allowed to keep anything they grow on that land.

• A serf was tied to the land. Even though a serf was considered a free person, they needed to receive the lords permission to leave the manor.

Before a serf could work their own land, what did the serf have to do?

What would a serf have to do if they wanted to leave the manor?

EconomicsThe Lords • Serfs did most of the work on the

manor, which freed up much of the lord’s time.

• The lord spent most of their time protecting the land and providing justice.

• Lords and vassals were also free to train and become professional warriors called knights.

What did the lord do on the manor?

What did many lords and vassals train to be?

I, John of Toul, make known that I am the liege man of the [count and countess of Champagne].... I will aid the count of Champagne in my own person, and will send to the count and countess of Champagne the knights whose service l owe to them for the fief which I hold of them....")

1. What is a fief?2. What is a manor?3. What was feudalism and manorialism a response to?4. What was trade like during the early part of Medieval Europe.5. What did a serf receive from the lord?6. What was the serf required to do with some of the produce

from their lands?7. Before a serf could work their own land, what did the serf have

to do?8. What would a serf have to do if they wanted to leave the

manor?9. What did the lord do on the manor?10. What did many lords and vassals train to be?