Medieval Social Life

One economic system used in Europe during the Middle ages was manorialism, and one system used during the Industrial Revolution was capitalism. Manorialism was used back when there were kings and peasants, and rendered the peasants dependant on the king's land. Capitalism is when the economy is controlled by private businesses, and not the state or

Social life in the Middle Ages was heavily influenced by the feudal system. The King was at the top of the society then the nobles, knights, and peasants/serfs. The King, nobles, and knights talk to each other the serfs/peasants are all by themselves (Doc. 1). If you were born as a serf, you would be a serf for the rest of your life. The kings controlled the land. The nobles were the assistants for the kings. The knights protected the nobles and the kings, and the serfs were farmers (Doc. 1). Another influence on the social lives of people was the Church. In a time of great political chaos, the Roman Catholic Church was the single, largest unifying structure in medieval Europe

During the middle ages the lack of protection and a stable government after the Fall of Rome created the need for a new political system. Feudalism was the political system that emerged and shaped the lives of people socially and politically. Manors were small communities that were made up of a castle, church, village, and land for farming. The structured society provided a place and responsibility for everyone. The feudal obligations showed that in exchange for one thing they would be provided with something else. Serfs and peasants would work and produce goods for the rest of the manor and in return had their land and promised protection. The vassals would need to obtain land from the Lord and in return would provide the Lord with military service, loyalty, and ransom if asked for (Doc. 4). To make clear the vassal’s specific allegiance to their lord whom they owed in for exchange for their fief they would take the Homage Oath (Doc. 2). This interdependent system required everyone to do their part and it created social classes that they were born into. Their daily lives were centered on the manor and that was how it stayed until towns began to

The social structure of the Middle Ages was based on the practice of feudalism. Feudalism meant that the country was not governed directly by the king, but by individual lords

During the High Middle Ages, Feudalism and the Societal Hierarchy was the social construct of the land. In that time period only 10% of peasants were actually free men, the rest were under the social class of serfs. Europe was becoming overpopulated due to periods of peace and prosperity, making it incredibly convenient for cheap labor. Working for the lords of the land, Serfs were very much close to slaves, but this all changed during the 1350s. The population began to decline due to mass starvation caused by poor harvest, throughout parts of Europe. Increased warfare also contributed to decline in population, such as Hundred Years’ War. Perhaps the most detrimental of all this is, the black plague, which began to wreak havoc in Europe around 1348. The Black Plague, “Black Death”, was a disease that civilization had no answer to. The massive deaths of the population caused the feudal lords to face severe labor shortages,

During the High Middle Ages, there was no strong, central government that was politically organized enough to meet common needs of the people in Europe. After the fall of Charlemagne’s empire, invasions and anarchy became the societal norm. If they wanted to survive, they had to meet particular needs. The people of the High Middle Ages met their needs of political organization, economic provision, and social aspects through Feudalism, Manorialism, and through the Church.

The high medieval society of Europe was organized into three main social groups: the clergy, nobles, and peasants, but there was still a group consisting of townspeople and Jews that were excluded from society. Higher-ups, being the nobles and clergy, believed that ultimate societal leadership belonged to the “prayers” and “fighters” and that they were superior to the “workers”. Each social group had their own special role in European high medieval society.

Tennagers are always warned about the dangers of conformity. Parents worry about what kids might do when it comes to peer pressure. This is not a new concern since, overtime, conformity has shown little positive outcome. Conforming led to disasters such as the horror of the Dark Ages and Hitler’s Germany. When individuals begin thinking for themselves, great things and advances in society happen.

In the Medieval government, the Feudal system was used. With the system, everyone but the king had a ruling lord above him/her. They would give him loyalty and service in order for land and protection. Peasants in the Middle Ages formed small communities around a lord for defense and safety.

During much of the Dark Ages, a period of time where an agrarian and feudal system prevailed as the main economic structure, the economies of European tribes and empires remained stagnant, along with the social mobility of its inhabitants. The mainly agricultural system caused a lack of a defined middle class, as there was no need for an exchange of goods. The middle class “was ill-organized and still dominated by the mobility,

The rise of towns in the late middle ages had a direct effect on the feudal system in the middle ages. As agricultural practices improved production of crops was accomplished with less labor this allowed farmers to turn their attention to other endeavors which allowed them to make more money. The noble class was forced to sell the peasants their freedom so they could fund the crusades, pay loans and buy luxury items. The peasants not being tied to the farm, produced goods that could be sold at the local market place which gave many the funds to by their freedom. The market place where they sold these goods was located along trade routes, towns evolved from these market places. With the ability to buy their freedom most of the peasants moved to these growing towns looking for work. Most had

In the feudal formation of the Middle Ages, the nobles who lived in the country add the king to protection in exchange for land. Peasants worked the land for the nobles, for which they accepted protection and their own small bundle of land. These backwoods peasants worked from sunrise to sundown, but even the nobles had few creature relief. In feudal cities, where there was a small middle-class population, life was a little easier and individuals had the freedom to go after whatever trade or industry they liked. In the late Middle Ages, when the threat of raid from wild had weakened, people left the country for towns and cities so they could employ in a more beneficial hunt.

Middling Problems Kings are the ones who lead and conquer. Lords are the ones who rule and sit barking orders to the lower classes. Knights are the ones who follow their code of honor, chivalry at its finest. Peasants are the ones who work until their bodies give out just to provide for their family. These are words that depicted the social hierarchy during the Middle Ages or rather, the Dark Ages.

Amitabh Bachchan once said, “Because you are women, people will force their thinking on you, their boundaries on you. They will tell you how to dress, how to behave, who you can meet and where you can go…”. This quote was all too true for the women in the Medieval Era. In this era, women did not have a lot of power or control over their life. Women did not get to select who they marry. They could not choose who they bore children too. Women did not get to decide what kind of work they wanted. They had to know their place and their place was a child bearer, house maid, or nun. Although there was an idealization of women in the Medieval Era, the lives of women were arduous as they had little control of their lives and were not able to decide who they spent their life with.

In the Medieval time life was very different from now because people either lived a very low life or lived a very high life, as in they were peasants or royalty. Also people got deadly diseases and illness that were very hard to treat because they didn’t have the technology we do now. Even though life was hard for most, many people the high life.