A TALE OF TWO CITIES

TERESA LANDEROS, INAYAH JUDKINS & ISRAEL LACEY

MEDIEVAL FEUDALISM
Feudalsocietyisamilitary
hierarchyinwhicharulerorlord
offersmountedfightersafief,aunit
oflandtocontrolinexchangefora
militaryservice.Feudalismwasa
legallybindingcontractbetweena
lordandhisvassal.

FEUDAL SYSTEM
The king the king was in complete control over the Feudal system. The king
owned all the land in the country and would decide who he would lease land to. The
men who leased land from the king were known as Barons.
Barons Barons were the men who leased land from the king which was known as
a manor. In return for the land, they had to provide knights and money for the king.
They kept as much of the land as they wished and then would decide how to divide
it amongst the knights.
Knights The knights would receive land from the barons and in return they were to
provide military services and protection when demanded by the king.
Villeins Also know as serfs, were given land by the knights. The serfs would
provide food and services when demanded.

THE THREE ESTATES

In a feudal society, it was traditionally divided into three estates. These three estates
consisted of the clergy, the aristocracy, and the peasantry. Each order had its
responsibilities, privileges and special honors.
The idea of the "estates" is important to the social structure of the Middle Ages.
In the three estates, there were clear boundaries between those who governed and
those who obeyed.

THE CLERGY
The clergy were considered to be apart of the church and were known as "those
who prayed".
The clergy ran both the Catholic church and some aspect of the country.
The clergy were considered the highest on the social ladder and were established
as a privileged estate.
Their responsibilities included: the registration of births, marriages and deaths;
they collected the tithe (usually 10%); they censored books; served as moral police;
operated schools and hospitals; and distributed relief to the poor. They also owned
10-15% of all the land in France. This land, was all held tax-free.

THE NOBILITY
The medieval nobility was an estate of warriors - those who fight.
Their social function was to protect the poor and the weak.
A man who was a member was seen to be free in his person and possession. His
only limitation concerned his military obligation to his lord.
Members of the second estate did not have to pay taxes but collected taxes from
the third estate.

THE PEASANTRY
The third estate was made up of everyone else. It made up about98% of the population, who
owned 60-70 percent of the land in France.
The third estate could be divided into three groups:the bourgeoisie, the sans culottes, and the
peasants.
The bourgeoisie they were the middle class of France and had wealth.However, having wealth
did not give the bourgeoisie status, privilege, or any source of power.They were blocked by the
aristocracy and the monarchy, who wanted to have everybody maintain the same social standing
that they were born with, and tried to ensure no one could rise above their status.
The sans culottes -were artisans but did not make nearly as much money as the bourgeoisie. They
suffered the most when food prices rose and their wages did not. It was the sans culottes who
pushed for equality in everything.
The peasants -Peasants who worked on farms for the nobles were the poorest of them all. These
people spent their lives struggling to survive.

THE CITIZENESS KNITTERS

Known also as tricoteuses or knitting women.
These women once were treated as "heroines" or a demigoddess.
The knitting women were praised with honor, medals, and presents.
Their power was suddenly taken from them, and they were forbidden from actively
participating in politics.
To feel of importance they'd sit at the foot of the guillotine and knit.
They tried to exercise an influence of which they'd already lost.
Knitting is an activity that is seen as delicate, and these women embodied the
opposite of delicacy.
The needle represents a weapon for hatred and violence.

LETTRESDECACHET
The Lettres De Cachet was letters/ warrantsthat was signed by the King of
France
Lettresde cachetwere used to such an extentduring the17th and18th
centuries
Lettres was used in the Frenchrevolutionin March1790
Whileserving the government as a silent weapon against political adversaries
or dangerous writer and as a means of punishing culprits of high birth without
the scandal of a suit at law

LETTRESDECACHETCONT'
At the beginnng of that Malesherbe during his short ministry endeavoured to infuse
some measure of justice into the system, and in March1784 Baron de Breteuli, a
minister in the kings household.
State lettres de cachet were sent by the government in the interest of society.
Foreigners were granted to private persons for action on another individual.
In the law of the acien regime, the letter de cachet was thus an expression of that
exercise of justice that make the king reserved to himself.
During the French revolution the use of the lettres de cachet was abolished by the
constituent assembly in March 1790

RESOURCES
INAYAH
http://web.a.ebscohost.co
m/hrc/detail/detail?vid=4
&sid=01bb95f3-7723-45bb-a
a02-0530d8753ff6%40sessio
nmgr4010&hid=4206&bdata=J
nNpdGU9aHJjLWxpdmU%3d#AN=
39018076&db=khh
http://school.eb.com/levels/hi
gh/article/18477

TERESA
http://
www.historyonthene
t.com/medieval_lif
e/feudalism.htm
http://
www.gohistorygo.c
om/how-feudalismworks
http://
www.historyguide.o
rg/ancient/lecture
23b.html
http://
www.traditioninacti
on.org/OrganicSocie
ty/A_044_Participat