Middle Ages - ESM School District

Medieval Europe 500-1500

Russell’s Rule to the Middle Ages:  Major questions about the Middle Ages

(according to the regents) deal with: 1) 2) 3)

Feudalism (weak central gov’t) Rise and power of Catholic Church The Crusades and the increase in trade

The Good and the Bad

Results of the Fall of Rome  Germanic invasions

lead to fall of Roman Empire which also led to:

1) Breakdown of trade  Fear of bandits

and without someone to “police” people stopped trading

= Less money, Less power, more isolation

2) Cities destroyed

3) Population Shift  People move

out of “center” of Civilization and begin moving to North and Countryside

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4) Learning decreased a. Germanic invaders were not

educated leaving only priest and other high officials educated b. People could not read ancient texts of Greeks or Romans (culture lost)

5) Loss of common language  a. Germanic people spoke different

language leading to Latin changing in to different dialects such as Spanish and French  b. DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SEPARATE PEOPLE

Homer says” Latin, who needs Latin? I’m never going to use Latin”

After the Fall of Rome, many people went searching for stability in everyday life,  Where do people search for stability? -

Individually Society

6) THE CHURCH!!!!!!

Increase in power of RCC!

Life began to surround itself around the Church  Going to Church  Holidays

 Behaviors

Education  Roman Catholic Church became source

of education for many

The Arts Mostly church related

 Gothic Architecture  Flying Buttresses  Stained Glass

THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH Age of Faith: Gothic Architecture Economy: Monasteries and churches often had their own lands and produced food and wine with the help of the peasants.

Tithe  Tax by the Church, each person must

give 1/10 income to Church

 Another example of RCC increase in

power.

 This left Europe weak for many years

until…  Life became chaos  Nothing was stable

Charlemagne (Charles the Great)  united Europe 771 ad  -created greatest empire since

Ancient Rome  -Frank (German) King, 6’4

 -Spread Christianity  -Pope crowned him Emperor

signifying alliance between Germans, Church, and former Roman Empire  Created Holy Roman Empire  1st Reich

 Died in 814

 So what happened after Charlemagne?

WEAK RULERS  Divided Empire amongst sons…too weak  Rulers that followed Charlemagne were weak and

empire would be divided in 3 parts  -This lack of strong leadership lead to Feudalism in Europe  o Nobles often fought over power with one another  o Viking invasions also helped weaken rulers and villages

Political Systems of the Middle Ages

People searched for safety  Answer: Feudalism

Remember Feudalism is the political term Manor system or manorialism is the economic term for this system

Without a strong central body of power keeping peace, people searched for security  Feudalism 

King Lord Knight Peasant

OATH OF FEALTY VASSALS (lesser lords and knights) pledged their loyalty.

THE BASIS OF MEDIEVAL ECONOMY WAS THE FIEF, OR PARCEL OF LAND GIVEN AFTER AN OATH OF LOYALTY IN EXCHANGE FOR SERVICES.

FEUDALISM  Kings were Relatively Weak  Decentralized political system

LORDS, LAND, AND LOYALTY  Isolated, Self-Sufficient Manors  Lords and Nobles control the domain or fief  Oaths of Fealty to one’s liege lord  Land was the basis of wealth  Protection was exchanged for loyalty and land

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SERFS AND SERFDOM Serfs were tied to the land. They could not leave, marry, etc. without the lord’s permission.

A serf was at the bottom of the manor system. They worked the lord’s land, and often the church estates, and then could tend their own small plot of land they received in exchange for these services.

LABOR!!

LAND!

SERFS ALSO GOT PROTECTION !

Feudal Society KING

NOBLES

LESSER LORDS KNIGHTS

SERFS

Economics: MANORIALISM AGRARIAN TRADITIONAL ECONOMY

AGRARIAN MANORIALISM A SELF-SUFFICIENT ECONOMY BASED ON AGRICULTURE

THE MANOR HOUSE THE LORD’S HOUSE WAS THE BIGGEST ONE BUT OFTEN NOT VERY SANITARY. IF HE LIVED IN A CASTLE, IT WAS COLD AND DAMP. THE LORD HAD CONTROL OF ALL OF THOSE IN HIS DESMESNE (domain). THEY WORKED OR PROVIDE MILITARY SERVICES FOR HIM. HE PROTECTED THEM IN HIS CASTLE IN TIMES OF DANGER.

THE MANOR SYSTEM ANYTHING NOT PRODUCED ON THE LORD’S MANOR COULD BE BARTERED. MONEY WAS RARELY USED AFTER ROME’S EMPIRE COLLAPSED.

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS THE AX

THE RAKE THE FLAIL

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS LONG HANDLED SCYTHE AND THE SICKLE

MEDIEVAL FARM TOOLS

HAYMAKING FORK AND SPADE

THE 3 FIELD SYSTEM Gray - Woodlands; the building blocks of the manor. Green - The 3 Fields; crops were rotated each season on land owned by the Lord and worked by the serfs. Purple - The Lord's house, land and pond. Burnt Orange - The villager's homes. Yellow - Small plots of land serfs could work themselves for their own benefit. Blue - the stream used by all.

THE PLOUGH (PLOW) In the Middle Ages, three inventions would help increase food production:

HORSE HARNESS The Ox was a slow animal, but the ox harness was lethal to the horse. Once a new harness was designed, “horse power” was used.

WINDMILL

WATERMILLS KEPT PEASANTS NEAR RIVERS. BUT THE WINDMILL EXPANDED WHERE GRAIN COULD BE GROUND.

What do these inventions mean  Increase food production  Increase population

 Less people needed to farm

KNIGHTS

Knights  Soldiers of the

Middle Ages  For a Fief, would pledge loyalty to defend Lords/Kings lands

MEDIEVAL TOURNAMENT  Soldiers mounted

on horseback  Protect nobles or kings possessions

IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES, THERE WERE FEWER INVADERS SO KNIGHTS WOULD FIGHT IN ENTERTAINMENT CALLED TOURNAMENTS. CHIVALRY WAS THE IDEAL CODE OF HONOR THAT A KNIGHT SHOULD FIGHT, LIVE, AND DIE BY.

Code of Chivalry  Moral/ethical code of the knights  Behaviors of what is right/wrong

Tournaments:  when knights were not at war. (just like in A

Knight’s Tale) -

Jousting sword fighting

MEDIEVAL WEAPONS LONG BOW CROSS BOW SWORD Trebuchet

Medieval Women  Role of Women in Feudal society 

- little or no power  - could inherit land  - home activities or convent

Rise of the Guild System:  -people,

especially the poor, without education were unsure of how to better their lives. -What is the guild system? Page 388 in text take notes

Question to answer  1) What is a guild?  2) What is the purpose of the guild system?  3) What are the different levels of the guild

system?  4) What are some examples of guilds?

 Guild system –

organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working together to improve economic and social conditions Apprentice journeyman. Master

Guilds

Middle Age living conditions  Small damp homes  Dirt Floors

 2 or 3 baths a year  Garbage in streets  Fecal matter in streets

 Dead bodies  Very few had hot water

What is a castle for?

Wars  Numerous Wars (Hundred Years war

between France and Britain and pillaging by Vikings and barbarians of lands)

Hundred Years War: 1337 -1453 VS



England vs. France -Fought over who was heir to French throne when King died -English ruler Edward III believed it was him because he was the grandson of Philip IV of France -Joan of Arc - France eventually gets England off soil Increase nationalistic feelings

Black Death Also known as the Bubonic Plague People

thought the apocalypse was coming  people were scared that God was punishing them

Black Death  1/3 of Europe’s population gone  Workers decrease

 Productivity decrease  Trade decrease

Middle Ages: Good or bad  Good  3 field system  Horse harness  Iron Plow  Guild System  Chivalry  Results of Crusades  Commercial Revolution

Bad -Feudalism -Education -Living Conditions -War (100 years war, Crusades -Disease  black death -Life of a serf