Emelyn L

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 30, 2020

Inequalities In The Medieval Times

Introduction

The Middle Ages were dark and happy times for people. The people who suffered the most were the peasants. Kings and queens had everything easy for them. Bishops, lords, knights, Barons and nobles were in the middle of the feudal system. During that time kings and queens were really important because they controlled the land. There were many important queens and kings, but the most famous queen was Queen Elizabeth I. Clothing was also really important too because it showed your power.

Feudalism

During the Middle Ages, there was a program to organize society into specific categories depending on their way of living and work. There were four different categories: king, bishop, peasants, barons and nobles (same category), lords, and knights (same categories).

The king was the top ruler of the time and owned much of the land, but he needed help controlling it. Because of that, he divided the land between the Barons who could give him back his loyalty and soldiers to their ruler. The peasants were the ones that were treated the most badly because they were the ones that worked hard, but didn't get any of what they deserved. The peasants could sometimes be considered free and could have their businesses like bakeries, carpenters, and many more. But, sometimes they would be considered slaves; they didn’t own anything and had to serve their lords by working six days a week for long hours a day and not even get paid what they deserved. Unlike the king, he got everything by not working that hard and just sitting on his throne all day. The king divided the land between him and the Barons. The Barons also divided the land because they couldn't take care of it all alone. They divided the land between the Lords & Knights. Anything that the Lords & Knights reported to the Barons, the Barons reported to the king, so he would know what's happening in each part of the land. The Bishops were the second most important people at that time because they controlled the Catholic Church. At that time it was very important to have a church because it made you have a lot of power. People fought for their equality, but never got it. Eventually, as time went on everybody got the same treatment and their rights.

Elizabeth I

The top leaders in the Medieval Times were the king or queen. Without them, there would be no control in the land. When the queen was ruling it was really important, because the queen almost never ruled. One of the most famous queen was Elizabeth the first. Elizabeth the first was born on September 7th, 1533, and passed away on March 24th, 1603. (Wikipedia). Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry the 8th and Anne Boleyn. Before Elizabeth became a ruler, she got in a lot of trouble with her half-sister, Queen Mary. During Mary’s rulery Elizabeth was put imprisoned for nearly a year because she supported Protestant rebels. Elizabeth also had a half-brother named Edward VI who finished his ruling in 1533 when Elizabeth was born and when he was finished ruling. After Edward VI died Lady Jane Grey took his place which she was also Elizabeth’s step-sister. She started ruling from November 17, 1558, at the age of 24 until her death in 1603 at the age of 69 after her step-sister Mary died without having an heir to pass the throne too, becoming the queen of England and Ireland. (Wikipedia). Elizabeth refused to marry anyone, but that had a consequence, she would not have an heir for her to pass down the throne too. Elizabeth had advisors that helped her rule and control both England and Ireland. The Spanish Armada was an important event in Elizabeth’s reign. Ships were sent from Spain to invade England, but England’s navy and bad weather were able to defeat them. This proved to England that Elizabeth and her navy were the best they could have. Elizabeth had always had a motto “video et taceo” (“I see and keep silent”) (Wikipedia). Elizabeth was cautious of foreign affairs, by maneuvering between the greatest in power countries, France and Spain. She only helped half-heartedly the poorly military campaign’s like the Netherlands, France, and Ireland. During the mid-1580s England could no longer avoid war with Spain. On Elizabeth’s death, the crown was passed to James VI of Scotland, ( James I of England).

Clothing Used At The Time

In the Medieval Times, clothing was very important, especially for the ones with the most power. The Kings and Queens were the ones with the most extravagant clothing because they had the most power they could buy anything they wanted, so it was easy for them to get all the clothing. On the other hand, the Lords and Knights had to wear protective clothing to protect themselves. The Bishops wore long gowns but for Bishops, the most color used was white. They would put tall hats and narrow woolen scarfs at half their neck. The reasons for the long gowns were based on the color they wore. All the gowns were connected to roman roots and their beliefs. The long hats represented how each cardinal should be willing to spill his blood for the church. The peasants had more simple clothing because they were at the bottom of the feudal system. Men and women peasants with more money than others wore simple leader shoes that were not comfortable for what they did all day. When the men wore the leather shoes long it meant they were important, if they were shorter it meant they were not as important as the other ones. On the other hand, poorer peasants with less money made their own clothing and simpler. The Queens and Kings clothing had its differences but they had their similarities too. The shoulders of both the Queen and the King shoulders were extravagant and slightly large in length. Because the Queens were women they wanted to look elegant so they wore their dresses long. All the clothing was separated into parts. The bottom of the dress was a skirt that was held with a framework made with wire or whalebone, they made this to make the skirt look with more volume. They didn’t move around that much nor played sports, but they did ride horses. They wore a piece of cloth that was put in the waist tight so that the waist would look small and tight. Queens also wore extravagant headwear like hats and hoods. The hair was always styled in different ways, but it was always brushed away from the forehead. They also used a ruff, which was a neck accessory to keep the neck straight and elegant. Another important thing to wear if they were going to ride horses was an outer garment. An outer garment is used as a safeguard or overskirt to protect the kirtle which is the skirt while horseback riding. Men were not that different from the women’s clothing but it did have some very different details. They wore extravagant sleeves with the ruff. They also used a doublet which was like a jacket for only men but was also really big in width, they were filled with horsehair. They used a ruff too, but smaller. They used a skirt but it was really short, they were even sometimes shirts. They were built this small because men played sports and it was easier for them to move in them.

Conclusion

People had hard and tough times, but sometimes their hard work paid off, in the end, some didn’t get their right just because they were in a bottom part of a feudal system, and in how they were born. Sometimes Queen’s or Kings could be so powerful and strong in their own way they could be seen as one of the most famous and important queens in history. Either a Queen or King could cause war with just one mistake but fix it when having a great army of soldiers. Just by your clothing people could know how powerful you are.

Works Cited

“Clothes.” Mystery in the Middle Ages. 10 February 2021.http://www.xtec.cat/monographic/cirel

/02/middle_ages/alumne/scene1/punt2/index.htm

“Clothing of the time.” Teachers Created Material. 10 February 2021. https://drive.google.com

/file/d/1Iq3hMOC-r7Dma-c-nJlhE71MJ-iC8AES/view

“Elizabeth I.” DK Find Out. 1 February 2021.https://www.dkfindout.com/us/histor/kings

-and-queens/elizabeth-i/

“Elizabeth I” Wikipedia. 1 February 2021.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. 14 January 2021.https://www.ducksters.com/history/

middle_ages_feudal_system.php

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life” Britain Express. 25 January 2021. https:// www.

britainexpress .com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm