Unit 8- Section 26- Lesson 2

Feudalism

A system developed in the High Middle Ages that provided protection and safety through a stable social order based on loyalty.

Monarch

The king or queen who theoretically owned all the land in the kingdom.

Fiefs

Land grants given by the king to important lords in exchange for loyalty and military service.

Vassals

Lords who received land (fiefs) from the king and were obligated to provide knights in times of war.

Knights

Warriors who served lords and the king in exchange for land and protection.

Serfs

Peasants who were tied to the land they worked and could not leave without permission.

Manors

Large estates owned by lords that included a castle or manor house, villages, and farmland.

Peasants

Workers who rented land from lords and farmed it, often providing goods for the manor.

Social Class

A hereditary system where individuals were born into a specific social position and often inherited the same job as their parents.

Contracts

Written agreements that sometimes documented the relationships and obligations between lords and vassals, some of which still exist today.