Instructions
Read the information below and answer the questions that follow. Use complete sentences where needed.
The Middle Ages (1000 to 1500):
Most people in Britain lived tough lives in the countryside. They worked for rich lords who were given land by the king. The countryside was divided into manors owned by lords in castles. A manor included one or more villages, farming land, and forests. The local church was in the heart of the village. Villagers lived in cottages with thatched roofs. Early in the Middle Ages, people were divided into three groups: those who fought battles (kings, nobles, and knights), those who prayed (monks, nuns, and priests), and those who worked (peasants).
A castle was in the heart of a lord's estate. From there, he ruled over his manor and defended it against rival nobles.
Food stored for winter was kept in the thatched roof area of the cottages. Cottages were dank, dark, and draughty. Animals sometimes lived in them, making them smelly too. There were straw mattresses to sleep on for both animals and humans. Life for most peasants was very hard. They worked long hours and few had any education, with little chance of improving their lives.
Peasants lived in villages on the lord's estate. In return for land, they paid the lords taxes and worked on his fields. Fields were divided into strips so every family had a share of the best land.
King Richard I (1189 to 1192): Although he is one of England's best-known kings, Richard didn't spend much time at home. He was usually off fighting overseas, such as in the long Crusade (religious war in the Middle East). His courage in battle won him the name "Lionheart." On the way home, Richard was shipwrecked in 1192 and captured by an Austrian duke. The people of England paid a huge ransom for his release.
Norman Conquest: In 1066, Duke William of Normandy from the north of France defeated English King Harold I at the Battle of Hastings. The new king, William the Conqueror, made his Norman friends lords. William's victory was celebrated in the Bayeux Tapestry - a 70m (230ft) long cloth embroidered with scenes showing the story of the Norman invasion of England.
Questions:
1. What groups were people divided into during the early Middle Ages?
2. Describe the living conditions of the peasants.
3. Who was King Richard I and why was he significant?
4. What event marked the beginning of the Norman Conquest?
5. What is the Bayeux Tapestry?