Middle Ages Research Project

Dalia Diaz

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 8, 2022

The Fascinating Middle Ages

Introduction

In the Middle Ages it all depended on a System cald Feudal System. With it everyone would be more organized and the town would be balanced. When people were caught doing something illegal and you were punished harshly or unfairly. Some people dressed poorly and other whithe elegant pieces of fabric. The clothes that they used depended on what you were, Like if you were the king you use the most expensive and better quality fabric. The Middle Ages are very interesting in the form of the organization system that they used. The people dount know a lot about this topic but it is a good idea to teach people about the Middle Ages.

Feudalism

The government system used in the Middle Ages was the feudal system. The feudal system is a way to organize people by what they are born into. They were classified in 4 different classes. The first or the most powerful one is the king’s. The king’s are the ones that control all the rest of the people from the kingdom. Next up the Lords, the Lords are the people that the King espesificli sent  to a specific place to be in charge of the people (Peasants/Serfs). The next level is the knights. The knights are the people that protect the kingdom. Up next Peasants, they are the poor people and they are forced to work. And if you were a farmer you had to give part of the food that you grew to the king. Most of the villages consisted of a Lord, they lived in a  small catsol. The peasants are the workers and they live in the village. Every village consists of  10-60 families(Ross).

How the serfs lived was a bit unfair  because of how the rest of the people treated them. They were treated like slaves. A Serf before they get married they have to ask the Lord(Ross). A king can’t look over all of his kingdom, so they have Baron who would take over small pieces of land.  Incase of the king's death , the first born son takes control. The Catholic Church was very powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop powerful as well. Not only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people. This made some Bishops very rich.

Crime and Punishments

The punishments for the middle ages are some of the most incredible ones through the years. The Middle Ages was a time of severe punishment and harsh torture for crimes that today would seem horroble. If you were coat styling you get your right hand cut off. And others were burnt alive for doing something really bad. During Tudor times English laws was practically geared toward torture. 

“Vagrancy was considered a crime and people were put in stocks so townspeople could beat them. If they committed Rape, Manslaughter or Robbery they wold hang them up in cages and the people could see ther slow death”(Nash). Torture and punishment has bin going on for more tham thausens of years ago. The lord was in charge of punishing the minor crimes. If the crime was serious, the king would  handle it.  In the ainsient Greck and Roman epayer the slaves were the only ones that were alwoedto be punished but later on they allowed to punish every one else if they did some thing bad(Nash). “The punishment for wrong-doing was very harsh in the middle ages. People who were guilty of lesser offences were fined or put in the stocks but those found guilty of serious crimes such as highway robbery, stealing livestock or treason and murder were executed. Executions were carried out in public and were often watched by large crowds”(Crime…). 

Clothes

In the Middle Ages  men and women wore different types of  clothes. The people were known by what they were. What I mean by that is that if you were in the upper class  you would wear better quality clothes. If you were  a Peasant you would wear bad quality clothes. For example  the men wore tunics and long stockings and the women wore long dresses and stockings made of wool. Some of the  peasants wore underwear that were made of linen. On the other hand the wealthy  men sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat.  The wetly women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear. 

They styled her hair in manys different ways but they all had the same thing, and that same thing is that their hair is brushed back from their forehead(Clothing…). The  doublet  that the mean used was stuffed with horsehair, wool, or rags will help clipping it with  a sharp shape. The slaves wher taied up to the doublet whit lace. There were different kinds of hats, some had different shapes but most of them had a band around them. Mouths of the women peasants spent their day spinning wool that was later turned into cloth. Townspeople (peasants) copied the style of the rich people although they used cheaper fabrics. The medieval people dyed their wool with colorful and vibrant colors. Some people in actuality probably wear this type of cloth but some won't.

Conclusion 

From how they organize the people in the Feudal System, to how their clothes looked.And how they  treated  people that commited a crime and were punished. From the Middle Ages to now a lot of things have changed, some for good but some for bad. But the middle ages are going to be one of the most outstanding years of human history. It’s incredible how people acted and what their beliefs were.The real truth about the Middle Ages is that the people were really mean and cold hatred. Comparing the middle ages to the actuality I think We live in a better economy. I say this because in actuality there is less segregation between the different social classes. The Middle Ages are a very complex topic in this research. I only talk about a little bit of what the Middle Ages were.

Works Cited 

“Clothes.” Mystery in the Middle Ages. www.xtec.cat/monografics/cirel/02/middle_ages/alumn 

e/scene1/punt2/index.htm Accessed 24 February 2022.

“Clothing of the Time.” Clothing of the Time. drive.google.com/file/d/1Iq3hMOC-r7Dma-c- 

nJlhE71MJ-iC8AES/view. Accessed 24 February 2022.

“Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages”. Camelot International. 

www.camelotintl.com/village/cr ime.html Accessed 7 February 2022.

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters.  www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal 

_system.php Accessed 7 February 2022.

Nash, Tim. “Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages.” The Finer Times. 23 November 2008, 

www.thefinertimes.com/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages. Accessed 7 February 

2022.

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com/Histor 

y/Feuda  lism_and_Medieval_life.htm  Accessed 7 February 2022.