What kinds of crops and animals did peasants typically have?
They grew wheat for bread, some vegetables, and kept animals.
Why did entire families, including children, have to work in agriculture?
The work was extremely hard, requiring a lot of labor to grow crops and maintain the land.
What were the two types of peasants, and how were they different?
Serfs: bound to the land and needed the lord’s permission to travel or marry. Free peasants owned land, could make own decisions, but had to pay taxes and fees
What were the typical characteristics of knights?
Knights were part of the lower nobility, wore a metal suit, rode a horse, and often only owned their weapons and horses.
What obligations did free peasants have despite their freedom?
They had to pay taxes to the lord and the Church and had to pay to use the mill, oven, or press.
Who were considered the privileged classes in the Middle Ages, and why?
The nobility and the clergy were privileged because they did not have to pay taxes or do manual work.
Who were vassals, and what role did they play in times of war?
Vassals were nobles who had received land from the king. During wars, monarchs requested their help, and they formed armies with their knights.
Where did most peasants live and work during the Middle Ages?
They lived and worked in a fief, a land that belonged to a lord.
Why were titles like duke and baron hereditary?
Titles were passed down through generations, ensuring that power and land remained within noble families.
Why was agricultural work particularly difficult for peasants?
They had very basic tools, such as the Roman plough, sickles, and scythes, and relied on cow excrement as fertilizer.
What were the possible consequences for nobles and knights after a war?
If victorious, they would return to their estates or lands. If they lost, they could lose their power, land, and even their lives.
What were the three main groups in which society was divided in medieval times?
Nobility, clergy and peasants.
What distinguished the upper nobility from the lower nobility?
Upper nobility consisted of great feudal lords who owned castles and land. Lower nobility included knights, who protected monarchs.
What restrictions did serfs have in their daily lives?
They could not leave the land where they were born, travel, or marry without the lord’s permission.
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