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Summarizing the factors that led to the decline of feudalism and the start of the modern era.
What if the rules of society—where you lived, what you did, and who you obeyed—suddenly changed forever because of a new weapon and a new way to make money?
Between and , England and France fought a series of conflicts known as the Hundred Years' War. This war changed everything. Before the war, people were loyal to local lords. By the end, they felt a sense of nationalism—loyalty to their country and king. Technological shifts played a huge role. The English longbow allowed common foot soldiers to defeat heavily armored knights from a distance. This meant kings no longer needed a small elite group of nobles to win battles; they needed large armies of paid commoners. As the power of the knight faded, so did the traditional feudal structure that supported them.
Imagine a battle between knights and archers. 1. In the early Middle Ages, the knights would win easily due to armor and horses. 2. With the longbow, an archer could fire up to arrows per minute. 3. If archers fire for minute, that is arrows. 4. The knights are defeated before they even reach the archers, making expensive noble knights less 'valuable' to the king.
Quick Check
How did the longbow change the relationship between kings and their nobles?
Answer
It reduced the king's reliance on noble knights because common soldiers with longbows became more effective in battle.
As trade increased across Europe, small villages grew into bustling towns. This created a new social group: the middle class. Unlike peasants, who farmed land owned by a lord, members of the middle class (merchants and craftspeople) earned money through trade. They didn't fit into the feudal pyramid. People began moving from manors to towns to seek better wages and freedom. This shift from a land-based economy to a money-based economy weakened the power of feudal lords. If a peasant could run away to a town and live for a year and a day, they were legally considered free!
Consider the economic choice of a peasant in the year : 1. Option A: Stay on the manor. Work days a week for the lord for 'free' in exchange for protection and a small hut. 2. Option B: Move to a town. Work as a blacksmith's apprentice. Earn coins per week. 3. Result: As more people chose Option B, the supply of labor on manors dropped, forcing lords to start paying wages to keep workers, effectively ending the old feudal contract.
Quick Check
Why did the growth of towns make it harder for lords to keep their power?
Answer
Towns offered peasants a way to earn money and gain freedom, which meant they no longer had to rely on a lord's land to survive.
By the late s, a new cultural movement called humanism began to take root, signaling the start of the Renaissance. In the Middle Ages, most art and thought focused on the afterlife and the Church. Humanists, however, began to emphasize the value of the individual and the study of classical Greek and Roman texts. They believed that humans could use reason and creativity to improve the world around them. This shift in thinking encouraged people to question old authorities, including the feudal system and the absolute power of the Church, paving the way for the modern era.
Compare two paintings: 1. Medieval Painting: Flat, gold background, focus on a saint. The goal is to inspire religious devotion. 2. Early Renaissance Painting: Uses perspective to create depth. Focuses on a realistic human face with emotions. The goal is to celebrate human beauty and the natural world. 3. This change reflects the shift from a 'God-centered' view to a 'Human-centered' view of the world.
Which weapon significantly reduced the military power of the noble knight?
What was the main source of power in a 'money-based economy'?
Humanism taught that individuals had little power to change their own lives.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain to a friend how the 'middle class' was different from the 'nobility' and 'peasants'.
Practice Activity
Look at a piece of art from the Middle Ages and one from the Renaissance. Can you spot three differences in how they portray people?