Feudalism/Towns of Middle Ages/Magna Carta

Define siege

When attackers surround the castle and wait for the people inside to starve to death or surrender.

Define Shared Powers

When two or more groups of people have power over the same area. This prevents any group from gaining too much power.

Define knight

A knight is a vassal to a lord and the third tier of the feudal system. A lord gives part of his fief to a night in exchange for the knight's military service.

Define lord

A lord is a vassal to a king and is the second tier in the feudal system. A king gives a lord a piece of land to rule however the lord wants. In exchange, the lord must be prepared to protect the King at any given time with an army which is where knights come in.

Define serf

A serf is a vassal to a lord and is the very bottom of the feudal system. Lords give serfs a small piece of the fief to live off and protection in return for the serfs to supply the kingdom with food and do whatever their lord wants. The serf's entire bloodline will be tied to being a serf.

Define vassal

A servant who serves someone higher in the feudal system in exchange for land.

Define fief

A smaller piece of lord or king's land, gifted to the vassal in exchange for their services.

Define Limited Government

A system in which the government's power is restricted by law(written document).

What were guilds? Why were they established?

Guilds were groups or associations of artisans and craftsmen who join together for economic benefit. They were established so that they could control all the trade in the town.

What were signs of power for the noble during the Middle Ages?

Beds, silk or velvet cloaks/mantles, the colors of scarlet and green, wealth, fine tapestries, large servings of food, spices, land, and government titles.

How did guilds help their members and the families of their members?

Guilds allowed its members to be in control of wages, hours, and working conditions. It also provides a support group for its members and without the consent of the guild, its members are the only people who can work their job. In addition, they allowed their families to be part of the support group and children could be trained for the guild. They also allowed trade skills to be passed down from generation to generation.

What contributed to the growth of towns in medieval Europe?

Guilds and trade contributed to the growth of towns in medieval Europe.

How has the Magna Carta affected the British government, the world, and human rights?

It made everyone equal under the law. It inspired countries to make their own laws and human rights. Its principles were applied to the British legal system, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and governments.

What is the Magna Carta?

The Magna Carta is a part of the republished version of the Charter of Liberties that was placed on a larger piece of paper than the other part. It gave the people of England legal and political rights and kept the King's power in check.

Define Individual Rights

Rights granted to every human being by nature or God and not by the government. These include life, liberty, property, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, assembly, and the right to petition.

Explain how the serf, lord, knight, and king were vassals to each other.

Serfs were vassals to the lords. In exchange for a small piece of land that a serf can live on and protection within the manor, they must provide lords, knights, and the King with a reliable food supply. Knights were also vassals to lords. Lords divide up the fief into smaller sections and loan them out to knights in exchange for their military service. Finally, lords were vassals to kings. The King loans the lord a fief or a smaller piece of the king's land that he has given to the lord that the lord can rule however he sees fit. In exchange, lords must have an army ready to go if the manor is ever attacked.

Define manor

Territory or land.

Why did the Barons want the Charter of Liberties to be signed?

The Barons wanted the Charter of Liberties to be signed because they were unhappy with the high taxes and how King John took their land for debts. The Charter of Liberties allowed them to take some of the power away from the King and establish legal and political rights that would protect them.

How did the merchant class change the Middle Ages?

The merchant class changed the social class system by becoming very powerful from all their wealth and status that was obtained from selling goods. They created the middle-class and moved away from feudalism and towards a period of trade and established guilds.

Define The Rule of Law

The principle that states that every citizen including the ruler(s) are subject to the law and there are no exceptions or special treatment.

Define Divine Right Theory

The theory in which God chooses the common ruler.

Define king

The top of the feudal system. A king is a vassal to God. God chooses the king so the king must share some of the land with the church.

What are examples of guilds today?

Unions and trade associations

Why are unions good?

Unions brought about major improvements to working conditions such as the following: Paid vacation, weekends, sick leave, minimum wage, the 8-hour-day, child labor laws, overtime pay, pensions, worker's compensation, health insurance, holiday pay, parental leave, workplace safety regulations, lunch breaks, avoiding exploitation by employers, and27% higher income compared to non-union members.

Why are unions bad?

Unions can lead to the exploitation of employers by unionized employees. Unions have an abundance of power and can use it to disrupt a company's merits. Employers are forced to abide by the restrictive and firm contract of unions. It can make the company less competitive with its rivals and limit workers to progress within the limits of the union's contract. The indomitable protection of a unionized worker can make the worker so comfortable that they lose the incentive to work hard. This can also cause other workers to lose interest in their work, as they have extremely strict limits on the improvement of their merits or worse the union may pressure them to not work as hard.