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Transcript

Olivia Diaz

Campbell

English 12-1/Period 5

20 November2014

Peasants/Serfs- Serfs in Medieval times had no political power. They couldn't own land but in exchange for food, labor and loyalty to the king expressed through military protection, they could be granted a portion of land by knights, nobles, or the monarchy.

Middle Class: Merchants, farmers, and craftsmen represented the emerging middle class in the feudal system. They reduced the size of the social gap between peasants and the upper class because wealth among the middle class could range from extremely impoverish to significant wealth. Merchants became the leader of industry and commerce.

Knights: The knights served to protect their lord's manor. In cases of war or battle, the knights would fight as soldiers, but held higher positions in the king's army. Knights were skilled in combat and experts in using weapons including the battleaxe, sword, dagger, and lance.

Nobles: The Noble class consisted of the Dukes, the Duchesses, Barons, and the Baronesses. The Dukes were the highest ranking in the nobility class. They would rule over a province in the kingdom. The female equivalent of the Duke was the the Duchess. Although they were still considered nobility Duchesses had no political power. Beneath the Dukes were the Barons. Barons would rule over smaller portions of land and were susceptible to losing their noble title. The female equivalent of the Baron was the Baroness. Like a Duchess, a Baroness would have no political power.

The Monarchy: Royalty was the most elitist of the social classes. In many cases, the royals would marry amongst their family because there was such a small pool of people to chose from while simultaneously keeping the royal blood line pure. Power did begin to shirt within the Monarchy where corruption erupted in the clergy.

Medieval Society Social Structure

Works Cited

"Medieval Knights." Medieval Knights. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

"Medieval Life - Feudalism." From Ancient Times to the 20th Century. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

"Merchants." Merchants. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

"Social Classes in the Middle Ages." The Finer Times: War, Crime and History Resource. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.

Pictures

Medieval Castles

Feudalism

Castles in the Medieval ages would not only serve as a home for royalty, but also as a fortress of defense for the kingdom.

Medieval castles were always built near a well so that soldiers wouldn't have to worry about a short water supply. The castles would also be built next to rivers so that supplies could be easily transported to the castle.

Typically castle had moats around them that could be as deep as 30 feet. The castle walls would be made of thick cement and had a Portcullis. This was a thick iron door that was meant to be raised and lowered quickly in times of attack.

Society within Medieval times was dominated by a social system called feudalism. Feudalism was essentially a class system that separated the peasants, emerging middle class, knights, nobility, royalty, and the clergy.

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