Download Middle Ages

The Middle Ages
Time Periods
• Middle Ages
– Early Middle Ages 500 a.d. – 1000 a.d.
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Fall of Rome
Rise of Church Power
The Black Plague
Charlemagne
Barbarian/Viking Invasions
– Late Middle Ages
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1000 a.d. – 1500 a.d.
Rise of Feudalism
Agricultural Changes
The Crusades
The Rise of England
Rise of Church Power
• In the absence of a powerful government after
the fall of Rome, people looked to the church
for a sense of stability and order.
– The church is
politically powerful
• In order to rule
effectively, a ruler
needs to be
endorsed by the
church
The Rise of Church Power - cont
– The church is culturally powerful
• Religion is a strong influence in peoples lives and the
church holds the keys to Heaven
– The church is economically powerful
• People pay tithes to the church and pay for blessings
and indulgences
The Rise of Church Power – cont.
– The church is a light in a dark age
• In the early Middle Ages, almost all education is done
through the church
• Almost all artwork being commissioned was
for/through the church
• Almost all literature was being copied/preserved by the
church
The Rise of Church Power - cont
• Monasteries
– Many people in the Middle Ages felt that God
would be pleased if they devoted their lives to
Him and isolated themselves from worldly
temptation, living under strict rules
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They voluntarily led lives of poverty
They led lives of celibacy
Spent much of their time in prayer
Grew all they needed for food
Made all of their material goods
The Plague
• The black plague, or ‘black death’, arrives in
Europe from fleas carried by rats on trade
ships from Asia.
– It kills 25% - 50% of the population in nearly every
community
– Once contracted it kills within days
– High fever, large black boils over the body,
coughing, and muscle spasms
Rise of Islam
• As Islam grows, large and organized Islamic armies
begin to conquer modern day Spain and move
north, deeper into Europe.
Rise of Islam
• As the Islamic army advances, it threatens
Christian areas.
• Since Europe is in the midst of the ‘Dark Age’,
no one has the power or money necessary to
stand up to, and repel, the invading Muslims.
• Charles Martel, later known as Charles ‘The
Hammer’, recognizes the threat to Europe
and Christendom.
Charles Martel
Charles Martel
• Martel seizes lands owned by the Church in
order to raise money to fund an army
• He is almost excommunicated, but the Pope
• He equips and trains an army, which
eventually repels the Muslims
• He rules over the kingom of the Franks and
expands it, beginning the line of Carolingian
Rule
Charles Martel
Charlemagne
• Charlemagne and his brother, the grandsons of
Charles ‘The Hammer’ Martel, inherits the
throne of the Franks – Modern day France
– When his brother dies, Charlemagne will rule alone
– Italy is ruled by the Lombard kingdom, the
Lombard’s are inching closer to Rome and
threatening church owned lands and the Pope
– A devout Christian, Charlemagne and his soldiers
come to the aid of the Pope
Charlemagne
Charlemagne
• After a bloody hard fought war, Charlemagne
is victorious
• The Pope declares Charlemagne ‘Defender of
the Pope’ and ‘Defender of Christianity’
• He also continues to rule the lands of the
Lombard Kingdom
Charlemagne
• Charlemagne then turns his attention to the
barbarian tribes to the North and East –
modern day Germany
• After many years of bitter and cruel fighting,
he subdues and converts the Saxons
• He now controls a kingdom that encompasses
modern day France, Italy, Germany, Austria,
and Belgium
Charlemagne
• Charlemagne emphasizes education, art, and
literature within his kingdom
– He orders books be copied and sent throughout
the kingdom
– He creates schools for medicine, philosophy, art,
and music
Charlemagne
• Charlemagne is eventually summoned to
Rome, where he is crowned Emperor by the
Pope
Vikings
• The Vikings were barbarians from the North.
Scandinavia which is modern day Sweden,
Finland, and Norway
• They were mainly farmers
• They were skilled sailors
Vikings
• A mini-ice age around 800a.d. meant that they
would have to turn to other means to survive
• They began terrorizing other parts of Europe
to gain wealth and food
Vikings
Vikings
• They used ships with shallow drafts to attack
towns and villages close to shore or further
inland using rivers
• They took
livestock, food,
captives, and
anything else
of value which
they could
easily carry off
Vikings
• Fearful of the constant threat of Viking raids,
the new political system known as Feudalism
is developed
• After 250 years of invasions, the Vikings have
begun to permanently settle down and
become integrated into European society
Feudalism
• Feudalism- A political and military defense
system that developed throughout European
kingdoms independently of one another. The
ownership of the land was key to the system.
Feudalism depended on a system of mutual
obligations between vassal (receiver of land)
and the lord (owner of land).
Why did Feudalism develop?
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Collapse of strong central government
Left over governments were ineffective
People needed to be safe & secure
Travel unsafe therefore needed self sufficient
communities
• Threat of civil war and therefore chaos
• Threat of starving to death
• Economic stagnation
Feudalism
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Lord
Gave Vassal Land
Expected to hold court
to settle disputes
Expected to collect
taxes
Expected to charge
tolls
Could ask for
loans/ransom
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Vassal
Swore loyalty
Became lord to his
knights
Provided 40 days of
knights to his lord
Gave loans (aid) when
asked
Feudal Economies
• Economic system of the Middle Ages based on
the work of peasants and serfs. The system
was self-sufficient, there was never a reason
to leave the manor except to trade for salt and
iron ore.
Life on the Manor
Feudal Peasant Duties
• 2-3 days of labor per week given to the lord of the
manor
• Percentage of grown grain
• 10% of all
livestock raised
• Gifts of eggs
and chickens
• Pay tax to use
the lord’s mill
and oven
• Pay marriage
tax
• Pay Church tithe
in produce or
goods made
Feudal Lord’s Duties
• Protect his manor, livestock, serfs and
peasants
• Provide land for peasants
to farm
• Provide mill and oven
• Provide small homes for
peasants/ serfs
• Take care of all obligations
to his lord and king
Crusades
William of Normandy - Hastings
Magna Carta
Hundred Years War