The Manorial System

1. The Manorial System Bell Ringer: What is a Manor, and looking at the word, What do you suspect the word Feudalism means?

2. What is the Manorial System? • Feudalism: Europeans ruled by independent leaders (local lords) • Leaders shaped the social and political structure of the Middle Ages. • Manorialism shaped the economy.

3. How does Manorialism Work?

4. Peasant Life • Life was difficult: spent doing hours of backbreaking work. • Peasants were called Serfs. • They could not leave the land without the Lord’s permission. • Meals were bread and lentils. • Life Expectancy was short: due to disease, starvation, and warfare.

5. Nobles’ Lifestyle • Lord’s lived in castles. Castles were built into hills or landforms, and usually had a moat for protection. • Main Area of castle was a Keep. A tower that contained storage rooms, workshops, and the living quarters. • Marriage was a means for advancement.

6. Chivalry Stage 1:Boy has to belong to the noble class. At age 11, boys serve as a Knight’s Attendant. They would learn manners, about weapons, and their care. • Code of conduct. • Was a system of rules that dictated knights’ behaviors towards others. • To become a Knight there was a strict process to follow. • Knights were required to be heroic, but only courteous to those in the same class. Stage 2: Boy becomes a squire. Squire takes care of the horses, armor, weapons. Once ready Squire would accompany the Knight to battle.

7. Read • Complete the Skill Building Strategy on page 296. • In complete sentences finish the Section 2 Review (page 299): Questions 1, 3, 4. Number 4 should be at least one detailed page!