Medieval Europe: Feudalism & the Manor
Aligned to C3.D2.His.6 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
After the fall of Rome, medieval Europe organized itself through feudalism, a system of exchanging land for loyalty and military service. Kings granted land to lords, who owed service to the king; peasants called serfs worked the land of a self-sufficient estate called the manor in return for protection.
Worked example
A lord might grant a knight a fief (an estate) in exchange for the knight's promise to fight for him for a set number of days each year.
Practice questions
- Define feudalism and name the group that worked the land on a manor.
- Explain the exchange of obligations between a lord and a vassal in the feudal system.
- Analyze how the self-sufficient manor shaped daily life and limited travel and trade.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
La Europa medieval: el feudalismo y el señorío
Tras la caída de Roma, la Europa medieval se organizó mediante el feudalismo, un sistema de intercambio de tierra por lealtad y servicio militar. Los reyes concedían tierras a los señores, que debían servicio al rey; campesinos llamados siervos trabajaban la tierra de una hacienda autosuficiente llamada señorío a cambio de protección.
Ejemplo: Un señor podía conceder a un caballero un feudo (una hacienda) a cambio de la promesa del caballero de luchar por él cierto número de días cada año.
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