Manorialism

1. Manorialism Lein and Hannah

2. The Manor • Manor - lord’s estate included one or more villages. • Usually included a church. • Serfs - peasants who worked the land. • Manorialism represented the economic part of feudalism. • All aspects of life were centered on the lords manor .

3. … • This system granted the lord economic and legal power over his serfs and tenants. • His land was called his demesne or domain. • This was required to support his way of life. • He split the land into separate strips for the peasants . • The peasants were also allowed to use wood from the forest, the common area, and had a house in the village.

4. … • The middle ages were violent times. • The majority of the population were peasants. • Only a small number of them owned their own land. • And very few people were artisans, blacksmiths, or crafts people. • There was a desperate need for security.

5. Serfs • They were bound to the land and if the manor was granted to a new lord the serfs went along with the land. • Serfs had little money . • Their lord protected them. • Much of their produce went to the lord, but they were given some land to farm for themselves.

6. … • Serfs produced food, clothing, furniture, and tools. • They had to pay the lord when they inherited land from their fathers. • Even thought they were not free, they were also not slaves . • Serfs rarely ventured outside their lord’s estate and had no knowledge of the world.

7. Peasant Life • Serfs rarely lived past the age of 35. • Disease was common. • They had a simple diet . • Rarely ate meat, which was reserved for the lord. • Serfs who illegally killed wild game on their lords manor risked harsh punishment. • If they lived by a river fish might be added into their diet.

8. … • All the members of the family and livestock slept together in their hut . • Peasants had a harsh life, working from sunup to sundown. • Everyone participated, doing different tasks. • Despite their hard lives peasants also had occasion to celebrate . • They also had time off at Christmas and Easter.

9. Lord’s Rights of the Manor • Had judicial power. • Could claim the goods of a person who died on the lord’s land and had no direct heir. • Could claim tax when property/domain changed hands.

10. DBQ Question Based on this picture what is the one main job of peasants?

11. DBQ Question What are the three different fields?

12. Bibliography