Download The Rise of Europe - Regina Catholic Education Center

THE RISE OF EUROPE
500 - 1450
EARLY EUROPE
400-700
The Roman Empire had
disintegrated.
 Constant invasions and war.
 Invaders include the
Vikings, the Magyars, &
Germanic tribes.
 These Germanic tribes carve
up Europe into small
kingdoms.
 The strongest of the
Germanic tribes were the
Franks.
.

500-1000
Europe is cut off from
the rest of the world.
 Populations decreased
& towns emptied
 Trade ended
 Learning stopped
 Fear of Islam

KING CLOVIS OF THE FRANKS
466-511
Clovis is hot tempered
but a brilliant leader.
 Marries & converts to
Christianity.
 Conquers former
Roman province of
Gaul.
 Gains a powerful ally
in the Roman Catholic
Church.

Charles the Great (742-814), a warrior king, better known as
Charlemagne, was crowned emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day,
800 by Pope Leo III. This led to unification of the empire.
CHARLEMAGNE (CHARLES THE GREAT) BLENDS
ROMAN, GERMAN & CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Creates a united Christian
Europe.
 Appoints powerful nobles to
rule local regions.
 He gave them land for soldiers.
 Missi Dominici check roads,
hear grievances & insure justice.
 Aachen =second Rome
 Revived Latin
 Promotes learning & education
(he is illiterate).

Strong efficient government
 Forced those whom he
conquered to become
Christians
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FEUDALISM & MANORIALISM
NINTH CENTURY
• Manorialism: economic ties between lords and
peasants.
• Feudalism: political ties between lords and other
lords
FEUDAL INSTITUTIONS
ORIGINS IN INSECURITY
Feudal is a political
institution.
 The King
 Lords or vassals
 Lesser lords

Knights
 Serfs
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BLUEPRINT OF THE MANOR SYSTEM
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Beneficium the latin word
for benefit .
Benefice - A gift of land
granted for services rendered
Beneficial Economic system
Relationship between Lord &
Peasant
Peasants or Serfs are bound to
the land
Peasants paid fees to Lords: to
marry, inherit land, use the mill,
General did not pay with money
but with produce.
AND HOW DOES A BENEFICE APPLY TO FEUDALISM &
MANORIALISM?
Lords owned large estates
of land called fiefs and
divided into fiefdoms.
 Vassals promised loyalty
and service to lords. A
lord protected his vassals.

Serfs farmed the land.
 Serfs also built &
maintained roads as
service to the lord.
 The lord protected his
serfs from invaders.

FEUDAL SYSTEM
• Unintentionally nurtured urban rebirth
•Prosperity in agriculture= rise in rural pop=
more people moving to urban areas for new
opportunity
•Reactivation of trade.
NOBLEWOMEN
Active role in warrior
society
 The “Lady” became lord
of the manor in her
father or husband’s
absence.
 Supervised vassals
 Managed the household

Chivalry was a code of conduct adopted by knights in
the late middle ages. It included ideals like bravery,
honor, loyalty generosity to fellow knights and raised
women to a new status.
Who were history’s most
famous & best known knights?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOqlV4Le9Tk&feature=related
….AND SOME LESSER FAMOUS KNIGHTS.
http://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=2e
Mkth8FWno
THE TROUBADOUR
Was a wandering poet & singer who praised
the perfection, beauty and wit of women .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa5sSaY1Nek&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzwQUPDfLPA
CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Rome falls & the church splits eastern (Byzantine Eastern
Orthodox) & western (Roman Catholic)
 Influence is both spiritual & secular.
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Medieval Christrians believed all
people were sinners.
Avoid hell by taking part in the
sacrament
Church had absolute power because
it decided who could take part in the
sacraments.
Canon Law = church laws.
Excommunication not allowed to
receive the sacrament. This is the
medieval version of the express route
to hell.
Interdict excluded entire towns or
regions from receiving the
sacrament
Bath Abbey
THE CHURCH & VILLAGE LIFE
Children were baptized
 Marriages performed
 Church was a social
center
 Some churches ran
schools
 Tithe a tax levied on all
Christians. 1/10th of their
income.

Anti-Semitism
prejudice directed at
Jews.
 Jews were blamed for
the death of Christ.
 Disease & famine
 Blamed for economic
hardships
 Jews moved to
Eastern Europe to
avoid persecution.

MONKS & NUNS
Provided social
services setting up
housing, hospitals &
schools for the poor.
 Alms to the poor
 Missionaries
 Some learning
preserved copying
famous works.
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REFORM MOVEMENTS WITHIN THE
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Church becomes rich &
powerful.
Some clergy become
more worldly and live in
luxury.
Some ignore their vows.
Reformers try to make
changes by making the
church more nonsecular.
Stopped the selling
positions in the church.
CHURCH
New Technologies
 Iron ploughs, Windmills, Harness & horses
 Advances lead to more food = more people
Rising populations demanded
more food.
 Peasant farmers needed more tools
not available on the Manors
 Trade reappeared to meet
demands.
 More trade meant changes in
business practices.
 New professions
 Middle Class
 Trading towns
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A CHANGING SOCIETY
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Charters were granted by
Kings or lords to
merchants to establish
protected business rights
for an annual fee.
 These charters came with
a certain degree of local
self rule.
The need for new
capital to expand &
create new businesses
gave rise to banks &
banking systems.
 By 1300 serfs were
now tenant farmers
selling products at the
market to pay their
lords who now wanted
cash.
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CHANGING SOCIETY CONTINUES…
Nobility & Clergy clash
with the new middle
class. The issue usury.
 Usury lending of money
at interest was seen as
immoral.
 Guilds or merchant
associations form. Guilds
protect a particular
business interest. Bakers,
weavers, brewers, etc.
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WHICH GUILDS ARE REPRESENTED?
HOW DID THE GUILD WORK?
Apprentice 7 years
bed & board
 Journeyman salaried
workers
 Master craftsman
 There were women’s
guilds too!
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