Middle Ages Research Project 

Leilani Sosa 

Encounters 6

Ms. Damante

April 19, 2024

The Magnificent Middle Ages

Introduction

Did you know in the Middle Ages that they depended on one single system as their government? One simple triangle can symbolize their power from greatest to least and their importance to the government. An extracurricular was made by law to be practiced for men so they could be ready for war. The worst would come for you if you committed a crime such as death and humiliation. There is more than meets the eye with the Middle Ages.

Feudalism

Feudalism was a social and economic system in Europe during the Middle Ages.  A system that indicated people's worth with a simple triangle. Most of this happened in medieval Britain, during the 14th century. They created feudalism to have a type of government, and so they wouldn’t go crazy out of order.

Organization

The feudal system was made up of kings/queens, bishops, manors/lords, knights, and peasants. Each had their role in the estate. The kings and queens were obviously on top. They were the top leaders of the lands. But even though they were leaders, did you know that kings and queens were not the center of the Middle Ages? The center was the manors. According to “Middle Ages Feudal System”, “The center of life in the Middle Ages was the manor. The local lord ran the manor.” (Middle…). They might have been in the middle, but they had the most power. After kings were bishops, they were the leaders of the church. “Middle Ages Feudal System” stated, “The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese.” (Middle…). Third was the Barons and Nobles, who ruled a specific piece of land called “fiefs”. Fourth were the knights, of course, protecting all people like in the movies and books we all read as children. Last were the peasants. Half of them were free, and the others were slaves working for the kings or rich folks.

Those Affected By The Feudal System

Although it was a government system followed by all, most people did not benefit. The main people hurt by this government were the peasants and serfs. The serfs had it worse than the peasants because they were both not treated correctly. The peasants could own businesses and didn’t have to work for anyone if they did not want to. The serfs were stuck to a lord for as long as they lived. They always had to get permission to take action. If they managed to run away for over a year, they were considered free from their lord.

The End of Feudalism

Feudalism ended when new and more useful inventions were created. For example guns, gunpowder, and longbows. It started to make knights and nobles less useful. Another reason feudalism came to an end was because the war between the English and French had ended, so kings had more power and took complete control of the government. 

Sports

Sports is something that families and friends can connect with.  Extracurricular activities that can be enjoyed with friends and family, even strangers. The sports we play now aren’t the same as the ones played back in the Middle Ages. Most of the sports played in the 14th century were violent, but now the games played are more organized, have rules, and don’t allow violence.  These sports didn’t just help them get healthy or in shape, but it made their being more important. A peasant who was great at any sport could get importance from his lord which would move him up the feudal system triangle, or a knight who was good at jousting in tournaments would gain more nobility and get more wealth and a castle.

The Law According to Sports

  According to “Sports in the Middle Ages”, “Apart from archery, other Middle Ages sports included Bowls, Colf, Gameball, Hammer-throwing, Shinty, Horseshoes, Jousting at tournaments, Skittles, Stoolball, and Wrestling. All these were outdoor sporting games.” (Newman). Archery was one of the most popular sports at the time.  One of the laws followed by all was that men practice archery. According to “Medieval Sports”, “Lower-class men were required to practice archery by law! The first Medieval Archery Law was passed in 1252 when all Englishmen between the ages of 15 to 60 years old were ordered, by Law, to equip themselves with a bow and arrows.” (Alchin). As you can see, sports have been a big part of life throughout the centuries, since feudalism and the Middle  Ages.

Crime and Punishment

 We all learned as a child that every action has a consequence. Crimes are bad actions that lead to punishments like jail or back—the dungeon. The most common crimes committed at the time were theft, rebellion, murder, and highway robbery. The author wrote “People who were guilty of lesser offenses were fined or put in the stocks, but those found guilty of serious crimes such as highway robbery, stealing livestock, treason, and murder were executed. Executions were carried out in public and were often watched by large crowds.” in the article “Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages” (Crime…). In this period, vagrancy was a crime. People were put in stocks so tons of people could beat them if they committed this crime. As you can see the worse the crime, the more brutal the torture. 

The Consequences of Bad Actions

At first, peasants were the only ones who could get punished, but as years passed, they changed the law to whoever broke it. If a woman ever committed adultery, they would be drowned by the law. If a person committed Manslaughter, Rape, and Robbery they would be hung in a cage for people to watch them slowly die. “Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages” stated, “The harsher the crime the more horrendous the punishment, If a man committed Rape, Manslaughter or Robbery they would be hung up in a cage so people could see their slow death.” (Nash). The government started to make laws to stop people from doing things like highway robbery in the 14th century. In England, they asked lords to cut all bushes near roads so the robbers had nowhere to hide. A common practice was suffocating people underwater. If people committed minor crimes they were just fined and put in the stock, but if you’re guilty of major crimes you got harsh and humiliating punishments.  The jail in the Middle Ages never fed them, so family, friends, or charitable people would have to bring them food and money or they would have starved. 

Conclusion 

While reading you probably realized that the Middle Ages had more to offer than you think. Feudalism, their main government, is what kept them in line and balanced out. Sports were important to men during this period. Crime and Punishment are taken more seriously than you thought. The Middle Ages are important because this was when everyone had a purpose to the government instead of just presidents/kings and the citizens of the area.

Works Cited 

Alchin, Linda. “Medieval Sports.” Middle Ages for Kids. 2017, www.lordsandladies.org/medieval- 

sports.htm. Accessed 22 February 2024.

”Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages.” Camelot International. www.camelotintl.com/village/crime.html. Accessed 23 February 2024.

“Middle Ages Feudal System.” Ducksters. www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal _system.php Accessed 22 February 2023. 

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#google_vignette. Accessed 23 February 2023.

Newman, Simon. “Sports in the Middle Ages.” The Finer Times. 29 May 2012, www.thefinertimes.com/s ports-in-the-middle-ages. Accessed 23 February 2024.

Ross, David. “Feudalism and Medieval Life.” Britain Express. www.britainexpress.com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm Accessed 7 February 2023.