Daily Life in the Middle Ages (1000-1600)

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Daily Life in the Middle Ages(1000-1600)

• Rural Areas
• Nobility
• Peasants/Serfs
• Towns/Cities
• Size
• Industry
• Population Drops
• Why?
• Food
• Pestilence

• Key Terms
• Feudalism
• Vassal/Knight
• Fief
• Guild System
• Black Death

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Traits of Feudalism(Social/Economic System of
Middle Ages)

• There was an absence of central authority
  Warlords dominated.

• People sought protection unique relationship
  developed between landowners commoners.
• Common in much of Europebut NOT in Pyrenees
  (French/Spanish border).

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Medieval Hierarchy

• Monk (clergy)
• Knight (noble)
• Peasant

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Nobles (up to 5)
Clergy (5-10)
Peasants (85-90)
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Nobility(They did NOT work the land)

• Two Types

• Lords-usually wealthy landowners
• Knights-the Warriors pledged to provide military
  service to a lord.

Fief-Land (and serfs to work it) given to knights
in return for military service.

• Most were illiterate.

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Food For Nobles

• Dominated by bread/porridge meat (fish,
  chickens, pigs wild game rarely beef), dairy
  beer was common.
• Expensive imports Middle Eastern exotic spices
  (sugar), wine from France.

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Peasants/Serfs

• Made up 85-90 of the population.
• They were tied to the land worked the land for
  the Lords knights (50-500 on an estate).
• In return they received
• Protection
• A portion of the crops they raised (75-90)
• Contracts

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Life On Medieval Manor(Nobles Hunt While
Peasants Work Castles vs. Huts)
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Daily Life in Middle Ages(fast forward 18
seconds)
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vpypbyC548dw
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Food Life For Peasants/Serfs

• Diet was VERY monotonous black bread/porridge
  beer were the staples eggs dairy (some fish,
  but not much meat)
• Famine threat
• Homes one room, wooden sides, thatched roofs
  one (large) bed
• Daily routine was dominated by seasons
  Christian celebrations

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Life For Peasants/Serfs

• Women were subject to their husbands authority

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Children

• 30-50 of children died before reaching age 5
• Marriage Age
• Boys 14
• Girls 12

Dance of Death
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Preparing For Winter
Baking bread slaughtering pigs
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Entertainment (A Harvest Festival Sponsored by
Lord of Manor)
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Entertainment
Cockfighting
Taverns
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Entertainment(Marriage Ceremony)

• Up to 1300s couples often waited for a pregnancy
  to hold a church service
• Between 12th 14th centuries modern church
  services were developed
• Marriages were arranged

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Towns Cities(Only 5 of population)

• London 10,000 (in 1200s)
• Paris 210,000 (in 1328)
• Italy (in 1200s)
• Florence 100,000
• Milan 90,000-100,000

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Guild System(Origins of modern industry)

• Guilds A training/education system to ensure
  quality in the products produced.
• Master Shop-owner (if they had enough money
  connections).
• Journeymen wage plus room board.
• Apprentice worked for room board with hope of
  advancement (seven years).
• Unskilled Laborer received room board with
  little or no hope of advancement

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Master
Journeymen
Apprentice
Unskilled Laborers
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Guild Workers Dyeing Cloth
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Population Drops

• It is estimated that between 1300-1450 Europe
  lost 50-65 of its population.
• Why?

1. Famine between 1000-1300 population doubled,
   but food production didnt.
2. Disease (Pestilence) Beginning in 1350 the
   Black Death spread killed many.

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A Physician In A Plague-Protecting Suit
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Despair All Over Society
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Daily Life in the Middle Ages(1000-1600)

• Rural Areas
• Nobility
• Peasants/Serfs
• Towns/Cities
• Size
• Industry
• Population Drops
• Why?
• Food
• Pestilence

• Key Terms
• Feudalism
• Vassal/Knight
• Fief
• Guild System
• Black Death