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Medieval Cities
What were Medieval Cities Like?
• Surrounded by
thick stone
walls
• Narrow streets
• Crowded
squares
• Unpleasant
smells
How Feudalism slowly died!
The King
The Lords
Knights
The Black Death Killed off peasants
Peasants
forcing to pay in cash & growing cities
meant villeins escaped
Sanctuary in Beverly
How Were Criminals Punished?
• Most crimes were punished by some form
of physical punishment at the least
• Prisons were used only to keep someone
before they could go to trial, not as
punishment
• If you stole something, you could be put to
death
How Were Criminals Punished?
The Curfew Bell
• Curfews were imposed in towns to keep the
peace.
• Originally the "curfew bell" was rung at 8 or 9
o'clock in the evening to indicate that it was time
for smiths, brewers, and taverners to cease their
working day.
• Anyone out after 9pm after that had to carry a
light and have a good excuse for being out.
• People couldn’t carry weapons around at night,
especially if they were from out of town.
Fire in the Cities
• Because the buildings were made of wood and
buildings were close to one another, fires broke
out often.
• Wood was way cheaper than brick
• Everyone had to keep a large container of water
outside their house in case fire broke out
• If there was a fire, everyone in the city was
expected to come running and help put it out.
The City Day