Monarchy vs. Democracy

Monarchy vs. Democracy

Monarchy and Democracy have survived side by side for the last few centuries. Even today democracy survives and thrives in the United States of America, and monarchy thrives in the United Kingdom. These two nations, both of which being super powers, have succeeded in their respective forms of government and have done so for over two hundred years. How have these two very successful nations survived with two very different forms of government? Both the United States and the United Kingdom have perfected their forms of government, however, the democracy in the United States gives people a unique opportunity to truly take part in their government in a way that the United Kingdom’s monarchy does not.

A monarchy is a form of government where there is undivided rule or complete sovereignty by a single person. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy) The United Kingdom has had one monarchy to rule the entire United Kingdom since 1603 when King James VI of Scotland took the English throne. Before King James’ rule the monarchy had been shared. Separate monarchies were formed to rule Scotland and another to rule England. King James’ dynasty, the Stuart dynasty, ruled from 1603 to 1714. Towards the end of the Stuart dynasty it was decided that only Protestants could hold the throne and after the death of Queen Anne, power shifted to King George I of the Hanoverian dynasty. The Hanoverian dynasty which lasted until 1901 saw a “period of expansion and stability”. This was the dynasty in which the great Queen Victoria acquired the vast Empire that Britain had come to be known for. With the marriage of Queen Victoria came the House of Saxe – Cobourg – Gotha, which only lasted until after World War I, after which the current House of Windsor came to power, which still rules to this day. (http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/HistoryoftheMonarchy.aspx)

Throughout the change of dynasties, there was also a change in the way the government was run. Currently the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. A constitutional monarchy is a monarchy with limited power that shares is power with a constitutional government that actually controls most of the government. In a constitutional monarchy, the king or queen had very limited power, and is usually only a ceremonial figure. In the United Kingdom, the Parliament, holds the majority of the power and makes most major decisions regarding the country. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/689632/constitutional-monarchy)

The United States of America has been a democracy since the country’s fight for independence starting in 1776. By definition, a democracy is “a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/democracy) This means that in the United States the citizens control the government. The people vote on the leaders they want to represent them in Congress and in the White House. As the Declaration of Independence states,” Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html) meaning government should be ruled by the people and should always do what is best for them.

The democracy in the United States allows for anyone, who meets a set of guidelines laid down by the Constitution to be part of the government. “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html) This passage from Article two of the Constitution outlines the qualifications of a person running for office in the House of Representatives. It is clear that anyone who fits these guidelines may run, opening the government to every citizen. This is very different than the dynasty form that monarchies use. Instead of having to be born into government, the United States democracy allows all to be involved in the government.

Both monarchies and democracies thrive throughout the world, and have done so for hundreds of years. The United Kingdom is stilled considered a monarchy, while its fellow super power and ally, the United States of America, is the most power democracy in the world. How is it that two of the worlds super powers have such different governments and can still be successful? Monarchies and democracies both have faults and assets, but democracies allow for direct involvement by the people which monarchies do not.

Works Cited

Box, Checking This. "Constitutional Monarchy (government) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 19 May 2010. .

"Declaration of Independence - Transcript." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"Democracy | Define Democracy at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"History of the Monarchy." Web. 19 May 2010. .

"Monarchy - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 19 May 2010. .

"Transcript of the Constitution of the United States - Official." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 20 May 2010. .

Exploration Weekly

Is Exploration a Good Thing?

Exploration by definition is “the investigation of unknown regions”. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exploration). This can be related to anything; the arts, science, math, literature, geography, even food and cooking techniques. However, exploration, particularly exploration during the Renaissance, has meant something more to western civilization that what the definition suggests. The exploration conducted during the late renaissance, has forever changed the way that we look at the arts, our building techniques, our architecture, and the lands that we live. Great explorers like Christopher Columbus, pioneered western interests and exploration all over the world, but did not always fit the heroic characteristics that history has given them.

Perhaps the most famous explorer of the late renaissance period was Christopher Columbus. The saying “Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492” is taught in schools and known by people throughout North America and Europe. Early in the morning of October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus, his three ships, and his men made landfall in the Caribbean. Soon after wards the native people come out in interest of these new comers and were amazed at the technology they had. The natives at that time had never seen iron or horses or ships like the ones Christopher Columbus had. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html) Columbus’ journey brought technology and knowledge to the Americas that the natives had never seen before. What was common knowledge and centuries old technology in Europe, might never had been discovered in the Americas without voyages such as Columbus’.

The voyage of Columbus did not have solely good effects. The exchange of diseases between the native people and Columbus’ men took a toll on populations in both the New World and Europe. Small pox in the New World and tropical diseases and syphilis brought back to Europe killed thousands of natives and Europeans alike. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus).

Columbus also did not view these natives as his equals. He thought he and his men were clearly better than the indigenous people because of their better technology and wealth. In his journal he said, “I thought then, and still believe, that these were from the continent. It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion. They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it pleases our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn our language.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html) Columbus had clear plans to bring the natives back as servants and perhaps even had plans to completely conquer them as he said in another passage from his journal. “Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html). Columbus knew that they would be at a complete disadvantage to the Europeans superior technology and weapons, and he could easily defeat them in any type of battle.

Exploration during the Renaissance forever changed the way that western civilization lives and works. Because of explorers like Christopher Columbus, new worlds, technologies, and ideas have been added to that already in place in western culture. But was Christopher Columbus the hero that everyone made him out to be? Without a doubt, there are huge benefits to his exploration, but was the death toll, not only in the Americas but also in Europe, really worth it? Exploration of new lands, like everything, has both good effects and bad effects on humanity. Every great accomplishment has consequences on the rest of the world.

Works Cited

"Exploration | Define Exploration at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exploration>.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Christopher Columbus: Extracts from Journal." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html>.

Time, Columbus's. "Christopher Columbus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus>.

Three Laws With Hammurabi

The Laws of Hammurabi on Prezi

The Renaissance Notes

The Renaissance

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

11:38 AM

• Artist looking at new ways to paint people - not entirely biblical and featuring daily life
• Brought about different views of religion and people
• Division in church - east and west
• Protestant break of
• Martin Luther in Germany essentially makes a new sect of Christianity
• In the renaissance there is more art created then there has been since the roman times

• Medici Family had the most influence on the Italian Renaissance
• Florence 1389 man baptized - not noble
• Humble beginnings
• Dawn of 15th century
• Treasure trade
• Holy church had most of it
• Treasure was knowledge
• Lost secrets of the ancient world
• Achievement of classics were above everything that had happened in the past few hundred years
• Florence was a major trading city that didn't have a king but different family's fought for power
• Medici bank prestigious trading
• Chose clients carefully
• Helped a priest become pope and then had the pope (John 23) "remember"

• Medici planned to rebuild and overambitious unfinished cathedral
• They needed ancient architectural knowledge
• Went to Brunelleschi - a maverick architect
• Had a bad temper and "weird ideas"
• Medici not intimidated
• Was doing things that had not been seen for thousands of years
• Used old styles like roman columns and such
• With Medici's help sparked an archictual revolution
• Medici was becoming patron to up their power
• Brunelleschi went to work on the dome and got the go ahead from the authorities
• Got inspiration from pantheon

• Head Medici died and his son couzimo took over
• Their rivals the albitzis controlled the city for generations
• As medicis got more power the tensions rose and fighting heightened
• Cauzimo was thrown in jail but a bribe got him out
• He was banished and because he had paid for most of the cities economy the people got tired of the albitzis
• They brought cauzimo back and gave him control of the city
• Revenge was selective but brutal
• Money flooded back into Florence
• Work on the dome started once again
• As they grew they became more powerful they

• The patsi were another rivals of the Medici
• They hatched a plan to kill the heirs of the Medici
• They need to kill both brothers at the same time
• On Easter Sunday they attempt the assassination in the cathedral
• One of the brothers escaped wounded but alive
• Violence broke out as fighting between the two sides supporters reeked havoc on Florence
• The surviving brother, Lorenzo the Magnificent, went and made a deal with the other side
• Returned to Florence - now peaceful and under the control of the Medici
• Used his new found power to fund art
• One that he sponsored was Leonardo da Vinci
• Started the first art school in Florence
• Michelangelo went there and Lorenzo thought he was great
• Lorenzo took him home to live with him and his family
• Michelangelo had two types of art - normal religious figures and humanist
• There were other people struggling between the two
• Creativity and art were at its peak but they were struggling financially
• Medici banks couldn't keep up with what people were asking
• Lorenzo fell ill and died at age 43
• People of the church who had not liked the art that Lorenzo made (they thought it was sinful) damned him
• Things flipped upside down when Lorenzo died
• Radical Christians took over and - beat prostitutes, killed homosexuals, got rid of wigs and jewelry and makeup, got rid of literature and paintings that weren't Christian
• Everything that Lorenzo did during his life was reversed

Queen Elizabeth's I Rise to Power

Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Ann Boline. During the early years of her life she was treated like the princess she was. She was in the royal court, had amazing amounts of dresses and servants to attend her, and lived the life of pure royalty. However when her mother was tried, convicted, and executed for treason and adultery, she was suddenly an illegitimate child, no better than the lowliest of servants. She spent the majority of her teen years in this way. She lived with her half sister, who was also marked as illegitimate. The worked as servants and weren't allowed to have any part of the royal life until, Elizabeth's younger brother Edward became king. He realized the wrong that had been committed against Elizabeth and invited her back to the court, She agreed and returned to her life of former glory. When Edward became sick and died, however she never thought she would receive the crown. Her cousin Mary of Scotland was the first in line to the throne but she was a Catholic, and her father's and brother's advisers thought it was best to keep the monarchy in Protestant rule. They chose Elizabeth at age 25 to become queen in order to keep England under Protestant rule, and in Henry's direct blood line.

Leonardo, A Genius?

Leonardo da Vinci is remembered as one of the greatest artists, inventors, and thinkers ever to live. His genius came not only is his amazing skills but also his revolutionary ideals. He was one of the first to extensively detail his paintings and portraits to match, almost exactely, the human body. As his biographer Giorgio Vasari wrote about the Mona Lisa, The eyebrows, through his having shown the manner in which the hairs spring from the flesh, here more close and here more scanty, and curve according to the pores of the skin, could not be more natural. The nose, with its beautiful nostrils, rosy and tender, appeared to be alive. The mouth, with its opening, and with its ends united by the red of the lips to the flesh-tints of the face, seemed, in truth, to be not colours but flesh. In the pit of the throat, if one gazed upon it intently, could be seen the beating of the pulse" This detail made Leonardo stand out from all the other artists of his time, and he provided the baseline for what portraits were to be.

He also spent great time forming and thinking about each of his works long enough to make every one perfect. He would spend months painting or sculpting one work of art for months. And would stand, staring at a painting for hours on end. This meticulous perfection added to the genius and beauty of his works. His attention to detail and the long hours he spend making each piece perfect, formed the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Giorgio Vasari: Life of Leonardo Da Vinci 1550." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 15 May 2010. http://ht.ly/1Kaia.

Elizabethian England Notes

• Daughter of King Henry the Eigth and Ann Boline
• Always got her way whether you liked it or not
• When she was young her mother was sentenced to death because of "adultery and treason"
• Elizabeth became a bastard child
• Even so she loved her father and was amazed by is wealth and power
• Henry died when she was 14 and she became an orphan
• Went to live with her stepmother
• Step father used to sexually abuse her and scandal rumors
• But she was reconciled and returned to her younger brothers court
• After many plots to overthrow her family's rule, she became queen
• Likes the freedom to do as she pleases on her grounds
• Had a quick temper
• Didn’t like going and talking with parlement - thought she was chosen by god and knew best about everything
• Was very strong willed
• "ducked every major issue"
• Was very indecisive

The Medici Family and Exploration - Daily

The Medici Family's motives for sponsoring exploration was to gain political and social power. If they could get more popular by becoming a patron that's what they did. They encourage the artists of their time to explore new ideas and was of thinking. They sponsored architects that attempted the impossible, and succeeded. If they were able to involve themselves with those great accomplishments and say that they were the driving force that allowed it to happen, their popularity would have skyrocketed. They were wiling to use others talents to get ahead in the realm of wealth and power and succeeded.

"Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance . Home." PBS. Web. 07 May 2010. http://www.pbs.org/empires/medici/index.html

Exploration - Daily

Exploration has many forms. There is exploration in sciences, art, academics, knowledge, philosophy, history, and physical exploration of the world. Each has their part in society and contributes to our knowledge and understanding of ourselves and our world. Exploration of the world however, holds a special place in our minds and society. Finding a new remote tropical island with unknown species and indigenous people who have never seen the modern world before has always captured our interest more than that of researching scientists finding that children learn better when positioned in a circle. Exploration of the world is the basis for exploration in every other field of science, academics, medicine, education, and everything else. If we know more about our physical world it can lead to us finding out more about ourselves and possibly help in the advancement of other fields directly. Newly discovered places could hold the secrets to medical problems and the key to helping us with our environmental, social, economic, and political problems in the modern world.

Middle Age Art vs. Renaissance Art

As times change outlook on life changes. And as the outlook on life changes so does the way you portray it. The middle ages were a dark and dangerous period, in which God was the only thing that could help a person. Art of the middle ages reflected this. Paintings, architecture, sculptures, and stained glass windows were ll centered on praising God or telling a biblical story. They praised God and centered their culture on Him, in hopes that their prayers may be answered.

As lifestyle and the quality of living conditions improved while the world transitioned into the Renaissance, art and the views on religion changed. The focus shifted from images of God to images of the human. As Leonardo da Vinci's biography states "This was seen by all mankind in Leonardo da Vinci, in whom, besides a beauty of body never sufficiently extolled, there was an infinite grace in all his actions". This passage in a way desribes the change in view on humans. Art went from a means to praise God and ask for protection to a way of looking deeper into ones self and others like them.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Giorgio Vasari: Life of Leonardo Da Vinci 1550." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 04 May 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html.

The Aliens Are Coming!

The astrophysicist, Stephen Hawking, believes that if aliens were to visit earth they my just strip us of our resources and move on, leaving us to die. Hawkins also compared the encounter to Columbus coming to America, the aliens would take what they needed and kill he indigenous people if they stood in their way. I believe much in the same right. If it is possible for humans to kill other humans to get what they want, what is stopping an entirely different species from doing the same. There is a slight possibility that if there are aliens with the means to get to us that they may be friendly, but is it worth the risk of taking that chance in exchange for technology and outer space allies, when we have enough problems of our own?

Memmott, Mark. "Don't Tell The Aliens We're Here, Stephen Hawking Says; They Might Not Be Friendly - The Two-Way - Breaking News, Analysis Blog : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 04 May 2010. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/04/aliens_stephen_hawking.html.

How do people of different social classes think differently?

How do people of different social classes think differently?

People of different social classes’ lives were very different. The lives of the nobles or the rich had a different goal, meaning, and difficulty than that of the working class or servants. People of upper classes may believe themselves to be better or more important, whilst the people of the lower classes sole focus may be to provide for their families. Priorities are different and the amount of contentment and amusement in the lives of people of different social classes contrast those of another social class’. People of different social classes have different needs and desires, feelings towards other humans, and priorities.

The peasants of the middle ages were tough people. They persevered through tough winters and bad harvest with little or no possessions to help them. They worked long hours farming, tending sheep, cooking, making clothes, picking and harvesting vegetables, and for the children, going to school. These things were all necessary for them to survive not only the winter but the next day. The peasant’s life revolved around his need to work, and his family’s welfare always came first. They did however get breaks from this hard work. There were church holidays, cheap taverns to visit and on rare occasions, special celebrations such as weddings. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK)

The next social order was the clergy men and women. Their lives revolved around the study of the bible and their devotion to God. They prayed and worked in the monasteries and covenants. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK) These men and women always had food and the supplies and things they needed to survive. People were forced to give money to the church not only for the poor but for the people who have devoted themselves to the church and lived and worked there. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/844Verneuil.html) In return, books and copies of the bible, called manuscripts, were developed in the monasteries because many times, monks were the only ones who could read or write. These people centered their lives and thoughts to the church every day, all day and were perfectly content with their lifestyle.

The merchant class was positioned at a midway point between the majority of the working class and the aristocrats. They were the skilled laborers who still did not have enough money or power to become noble men. These merchants controlled trade from the east and throughout Europe. They performed jobs that no one else could, like fine cloth making, sail making, milling, and masonry. (http://ht.ly/1F8XK) The Sailors tale in The Canterbury Tales tells the story of the frustration that many craftsmen and merchants faced “The foolish husband, always he must pay; He must buy clothes and other fine array” (http://ht.ly/1F8Xm) Merchants were caught in the middle of social tensions. They were wealthier than the peasants and were perfectly able to feed and clothe themselves, but many had a desire to go just one step further and become rich. The merchants were the nobleman’s link to the working class, as he made all the fine clothes and possessions that noblemen enjoyed, but they were not able to enjoy the life that the upper class enjoyed.

Noblemen and knights were the rulers of the land and the economics. They controlled money, taxes, how much land one could own, and how much they were allowed to keep. As the law states from one medieval kingdom “…there is evidence of a tendency on the part of landholders to evade payment of taxes to the royal treasury. Louis the Pious, therefore, insisted on their payment…” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/817Capit-aachen.html) These nobles had a life of luxury and wealth and had no problems with harsh winters or bad harvests. They had enough food to hold regular feasts at their manors and castles. They were the highest most powerful people and asserted that authority.

The different lifestyle of each individual lifestyle allows for a unique state of mind and way of thinking. The peasants who had very little did what they neede to do to survive and enjoyed the happy moments when they could. The monks and nuns devoted all their time to the church and to the poor but they were always provided for because of the citizens donations. Merchants held the middle ground in social society, having more wealth than the majority but being frustrated in their inability to reach nobility. And the nobles themselves gave off an authoritative presence with the power to back it up. Circumstances and lifestyle allows for unique views on the current situation as it did for each social class in the middle ages.

Works Cited

"Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by ELF." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://ht.ly/1F8Xm

"Choose a Guide." Ow.ly - Shorten Urls, Share Files and Track Visits - Owly. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://ht.ly/1F8XK.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Capitulary of Aachen: Payments on Tributary and Taxable Land, 817." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/817Capit-aachen.html.

"Medieval Sourcebook: Second Council of Verneuil: On Misappropriation of Church Funds, 844." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/844Verneuil.html.

Whats So Wrong With Social Orders?

What’s So Wrong with Social Orders?

Social orders are the division between people of different cultural, economical, and political classes. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social+classes?fromAsk=true&o=100074). There have been social classes from the time of the first civilizations and there continue to be in modern times. It is natural for humans to distance themselves from others that do not have the same power or wealth as them. During the Middle Ages there were four distinct social classes; the knights and nobles, the merchants, the clergy, and then the peasants and serfs. Each of these had a distinct job in medieval economy but they were completely shut off from one another. These social orders separated the people of medieval times indefinitely and went against basic human rights that we now believe and follow in.

During the middle ages peasant’s main job was to farm. They used methods that were years old and usually had to share equipment between them. No matter where they planted or what they planted, the nobleman of the manor they lived on took a percentage of their crops and money. Many times the peasants were not able to feed their families throughout the winter because of the taxes that the noblemen took and the possibility of bad harvests. The peasants that did persevere, however, were able to develop methods of to produce more crops. The peasants that persevered were able to find ways grow bigger and better crops but many times it wasn’t enough to satisfy their own needs and that of the noble men. (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/farm.html)

Peasant’s social standing was at the bottom of the hierarchical system and they were not allowed to move up or down. This “social immobility” meant that the peasants were not able to increase their wealth or power even if they had the means to. Peasants were doomed from birth until death to a poor life filled with hard work, whose rewards they could not even enjoy. These peasants many times were serfs that could not leave the land at anytime, and were treated like property. Even though the treatment of the peasants was bad their rights were still protected under law and when the Middle Ages were over and ideas changed about humans and their rights, the best peasants were able to move up into higher social orders. (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/prole.html)

On the other end of the spectrum, nobles in the middle ages had the best life to live. The majority of the men were once knights and after serving their “lords” they were given land and sometimes even a wife. These nobles had land, serfs, servants, crops, and animals and were at the top of the economic system. They wore the best clothes and ate the best food. They were allowed to hunt in forest that others weren’t. The nobles of the Middle Ages commanded respect, protected and generally ran the kingdoms in which they lived. (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/nlife.html)

The knights and nobles job in medieval society was to protect and rule their kingdoms. They fought not only enemy armies but they fought for their honor, their lord’s honor, and their kingdom’s honor in duels and jousting. There were rules that governed these fights as Sir John Astley explains “The first article is that we shall fight on horseback, each of us armed as it best pleases them, with weapons as we are accustomed to carrying in battle that is with spears, swords, daggers and with such advantages as either of us like without any false intention.” (http://www.chronique.com/Library/Tourneys/PhilipBoyleChallenge.htm) These rules show a glimpse of the rules that nobles had to follow. They may have lived a life that was better than that of the peasants but they were expected to abide by laws that almost trapped them as much as the servants. They too had social immobility and were forced to act as others thought they should.

Social orders divide people with different amounts of wealth and power and many times trap those people in their current situation. The difference between serfs and nobles in the middle ages and the social immobility separated these people from each other for years because of their economic and social differences. Although the social orders separated the men and women of the middle ages the view on people of different social classes have changed and the separation of these people has now, in modern times, began to dissolve.

Works Cited

"Social Classes | Define Social Classes at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social+classes?fromAsk=true&o=100074

"Farming." Web. 26 Apr. 2010. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/farm.html

"Roles and Rights of A Peasant." Web. 26 Apr. 2010. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/prole.html

"Noble Life." Web. 04 May 2010. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/nlife.html

"Sir John Astley Answers a Challenge, 1442." Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournaments Resource Library. Web. 04 May 2010. http://www.chronique.com/Library/Tourneys/PhilipBoyleChallenge.htm