Tuesday, December 28, 2010

#5 Social Studies- The Middle and Feudal Systems

With the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476 western Europe was thrown into chaos. Tribal chiefs and kings of small regions took control for local protection. Most of the population, except for royalty and clergy, was illiterate. It was a time when art and literature and architecture no longer flourished. This period was called the Dark Ages.


  During the Dark Ages in Europe, a social order known as the feudal system was instituted. This was a well-defined system of classes or levels within society. It was based on the belief that if everyone had a place in society, there would be less conflict. The feudal system had top-ranking nobles: the king, the lords, the lesser lords, and the knights. The peasants and the townspeople made up 90 percent of the population. The lord was responsible to the king and managed the estate that the peasants worked in return for protection from invading enemies. To keep them from taking advantage of unarmed peasants, knights followed a code of honor called chivalry, which combined bravery and Christian values.


  In the early 13th century, battles for land were being fought in England. Invasion by the Vikings and ongoing conflicts with the Romans Church kept England constantly fighting. The split that finally divided the church in England started with Henry II, when he and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, argued over the supreme authority of the king and the church. Henry's son, John, made an attempt to settle the conflict after his father's death. This required the barons of England to pay heavy taxes to the church. When tha barons complained, the Magna Carta was written in 1215 to protect their rights. This document served to establish rights of even those who were not nobles. It limited the powers of the monarchy, forcing even the king to obey the laws.


  The economic structure of the feudal system was very weak. Poor harvests led to famines. A weakened population was not able to fight off infectious disease, which had spread  throughout the trade routes. During the 14th century, a terrifying plague hit Europe. Infected fleas carried by rats through the towns transmitted the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death. The villages and early cities had inadequate sewage systems, which contributed greatly to spread of the plague. This plague is said to have killed one-third of all Europeans; no class, from peasants to royalty, escaped. Towns and farms were completely abandoned. Without farming, trading, and craft working, the economy collapsed even further. Western Europe took more than 100 years to recover.  

No comments:

Post a Comment