Paris and London

Medieval City Life

The life of all the classes was dominated by the feudal system. The daily life for of a noble lord, a knight, a noblewoman, a peasant and, a peasant woman was very hard. The jobs and occupations showed the quality of life during the Middle Ages. People in the Middle Ages enjoyed various types of music and dance. The Music of Middle Ages providing information about the music, and musical instruments.

Medieval peasants were either classified as free menor those who owed heavy labor service to a lord. They were bound to the land, and subject to feudal life. Village life was busy for both classes. Much of this harsh life was lived outdoors, wearing simple dress. Village life would change from outside influences with market pressures and new landlords. The lives of men during the Middle Ages was difficult. They had to care for their land, serve as head of their household, and had to be almost entirely self-sufficient. It was necessary to repair their own tools and furniture, build their own homes, and plow fields. The woman's work was toilsome as well. They had to tend crops and gardens, work in fields, and take care of the farm animals. Taking care of their children was also another top priority.

The manor was the place where most people lived during the Middle Ages. Feudalism bound most people to the land of a lord. But in return the lord provided protection for them. The manor house and land, crops and livestock were located on the home farm. Most times peasants were often serfs who were unable to leave the estate without the lord’s permission. Some peasants were freemen who had more rights and fewer responsibilities to the lord. But both needed the lord’s protection and had to serve the lord.

In the medieval cities waste chamber pots were emptied into the streets< which would cause lots of problems. With mud streets this presented a messy problem also. When a heavy rain would come, the waste products left on the ground would wash to the river. This caused a health problem, with drinking water and polluted springs. Disease was viewed as punishment. Smallpox was endemic, leprosy was common and the people in medieval cities were effected by this.

Tudor Dynasty

The Tudor Dynasty was a royal family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. The founder of the dynasty was Owen Tudor. He was from a Welsh family, who was a squire at the court of Henry V and who married that king's widow, Catherine. The Tudor dynasty was an English royal dynasty that lasted 118 years. The founder was Henry Tudor, a descendent of an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster, the third son of Edward III. Henry VII was also a descendent of Edward I through his great-grandmother, Margaret Holland.

During the reign of the Tudors the country was divided between the Catholics and the Protestants. The foundation of national religion was set. The Bible was translated into many languages and became aware of the facts in religion. People began to gather courage and strength to talk about the deeds of the Pope and Church. The most famous of the tudor dynasty were Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward IV, Mary I, Elizabeth I. Henry VIII is the most famous for having many wives and Elizabeth is famous for her lack of husbands. The Tudor dynasty has captivated history for hundreds and hundreds of years. This is because of the colorful characters, political and personal personality attached to each person.

The Tudors first came to power in 1485 when Henry defeated Richard III. He then became the first Tudor King to rule. The father of Henry VIII, was troubled during his reign but he also brought about unification within the country. Later on England had been divided between the Houses of Lancaster and York. Until Henry VII’s marriage to the daughter of Edward IV, who united the two houses back together.

The throne of England was inherited by Edwar , Mary I, known as 'Bloody Mary' for her burning of Protestants and Elizabeth 1. She survived a tough childhood and she lead England to victory over the Spanish, the greatest power of the age. The Tudor dynasty became extinct on the death of Elizabeth without a heir to take over in 1603. The crown of England was then passed to Henry VII's great-grandson, James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England.