• Feudalism

 -a term used by historians to describe the governmental system and the relationships between landowners and warriors
-warriors also known as knights, would pledge his allegiance to the lord, who would in turn give that knight land
-The lord grants a fief(property) to the knight who would then become the lords "vassal"(servant) this was called the "feudal compact"

• Homeage and Knighthood

-the vassal would have to pay Homeage this meant kneeling down an taking the lords hand in his while speaking an oath of loyalty
-when knight died his fief reverts to his son, though if the son was underage or if it was a girl, the lord would get the land

• The Feudalization of the church

-Some of the clergy (priests) were known to fight as knights themselves
Feudal States
-Barons were lords to large areas of land
-In countries like France and England, the kings built up enough land and power to rule effectively over their barons
-In the case of France, the kings of England were vassals of the French King, their fiefs included Gascony, Aquitaine, and Normandy

• The Manorial Estate

-The medieval society was divided into three "estates" the clergy, the nobility, and the common people
-Usually the peasantry farmed and large plantations known as "manors" which were owned by a lord or lady of the nobility (or member of a clergy)
-Iron plows and water-powered grinding mills helped with agricultural production, but the yield was still minuscule by today's standards

• The People of the Manor

- The lady of the house ran the household operations, oversaw servants, entertained guests and ran the manor when her husband was away
-most peasants were serfs, meaning they were bound to the land and to their lords for "labor service" a few days each week

• The Location and appearance of towns

-Most medieval towns were surrounded by fortified walls
-residences also sprang up outside the walls in the suburbs
-towns were dominated by a main church and central marketplace
-buildings for the craft guilds and the wealthiest families would also be in the center of the town

• Life of townspeople

-Though the townspeople were free, unlike the serfs, they still had a hierarchy:merchants at the top, then skilled craftsmen and artisans, then unskilled laborers and apprentices

• The guilds

-Merchants, craftsmen and artisans formed their own groups called guilds which regulated their trade and protected its members

-craftsmen were classified as masters, journeymen, and apprentices