Download Unit 9— The Middle Ages - Union Academy Charter School

Unit 9— The Middle Ages
Test Date ________________
Crossword Due ___________________
Castle Portfolio Due _______________
Crusade Essay Due ______________________
Quiz 1 ___________________
Quiz 2 __________________________
Essential Question: How did religion affect Europe’s political and social life during the later Middle Ages?
Vocabulary
vassal, feudalism, manor, serf, cannon law, heresy, excommunication, Crusades, pilgrimage, fief, Magna Carta, parliament
Lesson 1 — The Norman Conquest
Homework: none
Generalization: Leaders impact both their own people and other peoples
Lesson 2 — Feudalism and Manor Life
Homework: Read and answer questions
Generalization: People create systems to meet their needs
Feudalism Governs Knights and Nobles – When the Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims began their raids in the
800s, the Frankish kings were unable to defend their empire. Their army was too slow to defend against the lightning-fast attacks of their enemies. Because they couldn’t depend on protection from their kings, nobles had to
defend their own lands. As a result, the power of nobles grew, and kings became less powerful. In fact, some nobles became as powerful as the kings themselves. Although these nobles remained loyal to the king they ruled
their lands as independent territories.
Knights and Land – to defend their lands, nobles needed soldiers. The best soldiers were knights, warriors who fought on horseback. However, knights needed weapons, armor and horses. This equipment was expensive, and few people had money in the early Middle Ages. As a result, nobles gave knights fiefs, or pieces of land,
instead of money for their military service. A noble who gave land to a knight in this way was called a lord.
In return for the land, a knight promised to support the noble in battle or in other matters. A knight who
promised to support a lord in exchange for land was called a vassal. The vassal swore that he would always remain
loyal to his lord. Historians call this system of promises that governed the relationship between lords and vassals
feudalism.
A Lord’s Duties – the ties between lords and vassals were the heart of feudalism. Each group had certain
responsibilities toward the other. A lord had to send help to his vassals if an enemy attacked. In addition, he had
to be fair toward his vassals. He couldn’t cheat them or punish them for no reason. If a lord failed to do what he
was supposed to, his vassals could break all ties with him.
To defend their lands, many lords built castles. A castle is a large building with strong walls that can easily
be defended against attacks. Early castles didn’t look like the towering structures we see in movies and storybooks. Those great castles were built much later in the Middle Ages. Most early castles ere made of wood, not
stone. Nevertheless, these castles provided security in times of war.
A Vassal’s Duties – When a lord went to war, he called on his vassals to fight with him. But fighting wasn’t a vassal’s only duty. For example, vassals had to give their lords money on special occasions, such as when a
lord’s son became a knight or when his daughter got married. A vassal also had to give his lord food and shelter if
he came to visit. If a vassal gained enough land, he could become a lord. In this way a person might be both a
lord and a vassal. A knight could also accept fiefs from two different lords and become a vassal to both. Feudal
obligations could become confusing.
Feudalism Spreads – Feudalism was first created by the Franks. Before long the system began to spread
into other kingdoms. In the 1000s, Frankish knights introduced feudalism into northern Italy, Spain, and Germany. Feudalism then spread into Eastern Europe. It reached Britain in the 1000s. It was brought by William the
Conqueror and the Norman invasion.
The Manor System – When a knight received a fief from his lord, he needed a way to farm it. Knights were fight1
ers who didn’t have time to work in the fields. At the same time, peasants, or small farmers, needed to grow food
to live. Very few peasants, however, owned any land. As a result, a new economic system developed. Under this
system, knights allowed peasants to farm land on their large estates. In return, the peasants had to give the
knights food or other payment. The large estate owned by a knight or lord was called a manor. In general, each
manor included a large house or castle, pastures, fields, and forests. It also had a village when the peasants who
worked on the manor lived.
Peasants, Serfs and Other Workers – most medieval lords kept about one-fourth to one-third of their
land for their own use. The rest of the land was divided among peasants and serfs – workers who were tied to the
land on which they lived. Although they weren’t slaves, serfs weren’t allowed to leave their land without the lord’s
permission. Serfs spent much of their time working in their lords’ fields. In return for this work, they got a small
piece of land to farm for themselves. They also received their lords’ protection against outlaws and raiders.
The lives of serfs and peasants weren’t easy. Farm labor was hard, and they often worked in the fields late
into the night. Men did most of the farming. Women made clothing, cooked, grew vegetables, and gathered firewood. Even children worked, tending sheep and chickens. In addition to peasants and serfs, most manors had
several skilled workers. These workers traded their goods and services to the peasants in exchange for food.
Lords wanted the people who lived on the manor to produce everything they needed, including food and clothing.
Manor Lords – The lord of a manor controlled everything that happened on his lands. His word was
law. The lord resolved any disputes that arose on the manor and punished people who misbehaved. He also collected taxes from the people who lived on his manor. As you would expect, manor lords and ladies lived more
comfortably than other people on the manor. They had servants and large houses. Still, their lives weren’t easy.
Lords who survived diseases faced the possibility of being killed in war.
Questions
1. Describe – Under the feudal system, what type of exchange took place between lords and vassals?
2. Sequencing- What led to the creation of feudalism?
3. Contrast - How were the lives of nobles and peasants different?
Lesson 3 — Castles
Homework : Begin Castle Portfolio Piece — draw a floorplan for a castle, include labels and consider
how defendable you castle will be. You need to show your understanding of how and why castles were
built.
Generalization: People create systems to meet their needs
Lesson 4 — The Power of the Church
Homework : Read lesson
Generalization: Values and beliefs often impact the whole of a society
The Roman Catholic Church -- After Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire,
the church became known as the Roman Catholic Church, the phrase means the universal church of Rome. The
organization of the Church gave the people in Rome much power. He was aided by cardinals and bishops who
supervised the work of the priests. In the Middle Ages, every manor and every town had a church. Each church
had a priest to conduct religious services. Church officials served as advisers to lords and kings. The Church conducted schools and provided places for travelers to stay. In many areas of Europe, the Church was the only form
of government. It kept law and learning alive in Europe.
The Power of the Church -- During the Middle Ages, a time of great unrest and uncertainty, the Church
provided a place of refuge and hope. Christians believed that one who lived a good life and followed the rules set
down by God and the Church would be rewarded by a happy life in heaven. A person who did something wrong
could usually undo the wrong by begging forgiveness from God and by performing good deeds.
To make sure that the church would have the final word in disputes; Church leaders established their own
courts. In these courts, wrongdoers were tried and judged under canon law. Under this law of the church, those
who disagreed with the teachings of the Church could be convicted of heresy. Heresy was regarded as a terrible
crime. A common punishment for it was excommunication. An excommunicated person was barred from all
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churches and from the salvation of the soul offered by the Church. This meant that the person would not go to
heaven.
The Church might use another form of punishment against a lord or king. The pope could place a nation of fief under an interdict. This punishment banned all church services in an area. Such a situation often
made the people fearful and angry. They would demand that their ruler give in to the will of the pope so that
religious services could be held.
The Church and Learning -- During the Middle Ages, few people knew how to read and write.
Church officials generally had both skills. People who needed to have something written – a letter, a marriage
agreement – would go to a priest or other church official for help. In addition to there religious duties, many
church officials served as secretaries, advisers and teachers.
The church encouraged the development of the first universities in Europe. These centers of learning
trained young men to become official of the church. Universities also prepared students for other careers. At
the university of Salerno, Italy, founded in the 800s, a student could study medicine. The school in Bologna, also
in Italy and founded in 1088, specialized in law. Among the universities established in the 1100’s and 1200’s that
sill exist are the University of Paris in France and the universities at Oxford and Cambridge in England
Most of the great thinkers of the Middle Ages were men of the Church. One famous scholar was Thomas Aquinas, who lived from 1225 to 1274. He wrote about faith and reason and the need for both in order to
understand God. Roger Bacon, a churchman in England in the 1200’s is considered to be the founder of experimental science. He conducted experiments and research to learn about the natural world. One of his studies led
him to predict the coming of the airplane, 20th century development.
The Church and Art -- Most art of the Middle Ages served the Church. Works of art made the insides
of churches beautiful. Music that was sung or played reminded people of God. Churchmen known as monks
decorated the pages of the Bible, they copied, since there were no printing presses at that time, all copies of
books had to be written by hand. Among the most beautiful of the decorated Bibles is the Book of Kells, created by monks in Ireland.
The most impressive buildings of the Middle Ages were the great churches in the cities and towns. Everything in these buildings was done to help the worshipers feel the presence of God. Two major styles of
churches were built. One style, the Romanesque, was the main type put up between 1000 and 1150. These
churches had thick stone walls, very small windows and rounded arches. About 1150 to 1300, a second style, the
Gothic, came into being. These churches had thinner stone walls, high ceilings, large windows filled with stained
(colored) glass, pointed arches, and tall towers. Many windows pictured events from stories in the Bible.
The Great Cathedrals — With the rise of towns and urban centers in Europe during the High Middle Ages,
Christian places of worship were changing in style and size. As the trading centers prospered, towns were able
to afford the construction of great churches called cathedrals. Such buildings were monumental undertakings
requiring much skill, labor and great sacrifice on the part of the Christian community. Artistically, such buildings
were part of a new style of architecture called Gothic. These medieval buildings, especially cathedrals, emphasized an openness using many windows to let in massive amount of light. Builders used tall, slender arches, and
narrow columns that rose to spectacular heights. Light was so important in a Gothic cathedral that the designs
used dozens of large windows. The glass was of many colors called stained glass, since most of the people of the
medieval period were illiterate, such windows might depict a scene from the Bible of tell a story.
Building a cathedral was a long and difficult process, often taking decades to complete. Work at a cathedral site used all the technology, mathematics, and engineering knowledge of the period. Unskilled workers dug
the foundation and moved massive stone blocks into place. But many skilled workers and artisans were needed
to carve intricate patterns in stone, as well as crate all the artwork, including stained glass, statuary and decorations, that went into building a typical cathedral.
Hundreds of cathedrals were constructed in the High Middle Ages. In France alone, 80 cathedrals were
built between 1180 and 1270. In Europe as a whole, over 500 cathedrals were built within a 400-year period.
Such great houses of worship provided a common meeting place for Christians, where often as many as 5000 of
the faithful might gather for special services. The cathedrals were a symbol of pride for a community and were
the sites of many pilgrimages. Inside a cathedral a relic was usually included, an object which was considered
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holy and meant for worship, such as a piece of Jesus’ cross or the bones of a saint.
Lesson 5 — Popes, Kings and Challenges to the Church
Homework: Read and answer questions
Generalization: Desire for control often lead to conflicts over power
The Power of the Popes – in the Middle Ages, the pope was the head of the Christian Church in Western Europe. Since nearly everyone in the Middle Ages belonged to this church, the pope had great power. People saw
the pope as God’s representative on Earth. They looked to him for guidance about how to live and pray. Because the pope was seen as God’s representative, it was his duty to decide what the church would teach. From
time to time, a pope would write a letter called a bull to explain a religious teaching or culture a church policy. In
addition, the pope decided when someone was acting against the church.
If the pope felt someone was working against the church, he could punish the person in many ways. For
serious offenses, the pope or other bishops could choose to excommunicate, or cast out from the church, the offender. This punishment was deeply feared because Christians believed that a person who died while excommunication would not get into heaven. In addition to spiritual power, many popes had great political power. After the
Roman Empire collapsed, many people in Italy looked to the pope as the leader. As a result, some popes began to
live like royalty. They became rich and built huge palaces. At the same time, they came into conflict with Europe’s
other political leaders, kings.
Showdown at Canossa – The feudal system created complicated arrangements between lords and vassals.
Added to those problems were relations between king and church. What if the vassal was a bishop who controlled
church lands? Who should appoint that bishop: the king as his lord or the Pope as head of the church? These
were important issues when nobles became bishops in order to control church land; the church became a major
land holder within a kingdom. During the Middle Ages, the church held about one third of the land in Europe.
Kings insisted that the bishop of abbot (head of a monastery) was a vassal, and he should receive the symbols of
that office from the king (lay investiture). Church reformers did not like this because they felt it divided the loyalty
and duties of local church officials.
The modern person usually sees the Pope as a holy man, devoted to serving God and the church. In the
early Middle Ages, the Pope had a different image. At first, the Popes had been appointed by the clergy (priests) of
Rome and nearby regions, but then the German nobles began choosing the Pope. In 1059, the College of Cardinals was formed by high church officials around Rome to select future Popes.
Pope Nicholas I (858-867) had tried to bring all clergy under the control of the Pope, but after he died they
returned to ignoring the Pope’s orders. With churchmen practicing simony (buying and selling their positions), the
Pope’s control was very weak. Reformers met at Cluny, France, and demanded an end to church corruption.
They wanted the Pope to control the church. Kings, they said, should have no power to choose church officials.
A leader in this reform movement was Hildebrand, a high Roman Church official. In 1059, he was elected
Pope Gregory VII by the cardinals and began making changes. In the future, no priests could be married, and the
Pope would choose the bishops. If the Pope made a decision, only the Pope could change it. Gregory’s claim of
more papal authority was bold and was not going to be popular among the rulers.
The Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, was furious with Gregory and insultingly called him a “false monk.”
In 1077, after a clash over the choice of an archbishop, the Pope excommunicated Henry IV from the church. No
Christian would have to obey the king, and he could lose his throne. Henry crossed the mountains and went to
Canossa where Gregory was staying. The king stood barefoot in the snow three days begging for forgiveness. At
last, Gregory forgave him.
Henry returned to Germany, where he won the support of the nobles, but clearly was not humble to the
Pope. In 1080, Gregory excommunicated him again, but this time it didn’t work. Henry brought an army into Italy. Gregory was chased out of Rome, and Henry appointed an antipope (one installed as a rival to the real Pope).
The Church and its Critics – The Medieval church was very different from the modern church; it was an economic and political power as well as a religious power. It controlled much land in Europe. The church was very
wealthy. It used its power to threaten kings. It had a monopoly on religion; nearly everyone belonged to the
church. Often, where there is power and wealth, greedy and ambitious men will use it for gain. This was true of
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the Medieval church. Rulers wanted their man in as Pope, and if someone else were chosen, they worked to limit
the damage that Pope could do. Popes were angered by this attempt to control the church, and Pope Boniface
VIII issued a bull called Clericos Laicos in 1294 prohibiting lay rulers from taxing church property without the
Pope’s permission. Edward I of England and Philip the Fair of France began taking protection away from the
church, and Boniface backed down.
Boniface’s prestige returned during religious festivals held in 1300, and he decided to put the kings in their
place with another bull, Unam Sanctum, in which he claimed the power to remove any king. He said obedience to
the Pope was necessary for salvation. Philip reacted strongly and almost succeeded in taking Boniface as a captive
to France. The next Pope, Benedict XI, died within a year, and after much debate, Clement V was chosen as
Pope. He moved to Avignon and never returned to Rome. Scared by the French king, he reversed Unam Sanctum.
The English saw him as a French puppet and ignored him.
This began the “Babylonian Captivity” of the church. Form 1309-77, the Popes lived in Avignon. When
Pope Gregory XI moved back to Rome in 1378, he found the situation there in chaos and wanted to return to
Avignon, but he died in 1378 before that was accomplished. The French cardinals left Rome after an Italian had
been chosen as Pope, and they elected a different Pope. This split was called the “Great Schism.” Now there
were two Popes, each excommunicating the other. In 1409, a meeting at Pisa decided neither Pope was valid and
chose a third one. The other two did not resign, so then there were three. Finally in 1417, the Council of Constance fired two Popes, the third resigned, and Martin V was named as the new Pope.
As you can guess, this was all very confusing to faithful Christians. Two who spoke up in protest were
John Wycliffe and John Huss. Wycliffe was an Oxford professor who saw the suffering caused by the plague and
the Hundred Years’ War and felt neither kings nor Popes cared about the people. He argued that man must obey
God over king or Pope and that the Bible, not the church, had authority over Christians. In 1382, his followers
translated the Bible into English. In 1415, the Council of Constance ordered that his body be dug up and burned.
John Huss was also critical of the church and was ordered to appear before the Council of Constance.
Although he received a promise of safe passage, he was captured and burned at the stake.
Questions
1. Elaborate- Why do you think the pope made Emperor Henry IV wait for three days before forgiving him?
2. Explain - . What was simony?
3. Explain - What was Wycliffe’s complaint against kings and Popes?
Lesson 7 — Others in the Middle Ages
Homework: read and answer questions
Generalization: Cultural ignorance can often lead to mistrust, misunderstanding, conflict and prejudice
Women in the Medieval World
The Medieval woman was very limited in how she lived her life. From the day she was born, she had a
male who told her what she could and could not do. Marriages were usually “for convenience,” to gain land or
property. Henry VII of England searched for a suitable wife after his first wife died and learned that the widow of
the King of Naples was available. He sent three agents to find out if she was healthy, attractive, and had money.
Their report indicated that she passed the first two qualifications, but failed the third. He remained a widower.
Sometimes, children were only 4 or 5 years old when they were married. The practice of arranging children’s marriages was so common that the church said children in the cradle could not be married. If a woman
survived childhood without gaining a husband, her choices were to either get married to go to a convent. In marriage, the husband ruled the family. On certain days, the wife was required to lie at the husband’s feet and beg his
forgiveness for anything she had done or had failed to do. Then the children did the same at their parents’ feet.
Still, women were important in family life, and in Italy they were a power in the family circle.
Women did much of the work during the Middle Ages. They worked in the fields, the same as the men.
They spun cloth and made clothing for the family. Even upper-class girls were taught to spin. Women in Paris
held a wide variety of jobs in trade and industry. When their husbands died, women continued to operate the
businesses. It was said that in London women played an important part in the city’s trade.
While many women of the Middle Ages were as illiterate as their husbands and fathers, some education
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was available in a few places. One of the most famous love stories of the Middle Ages involved Heloise, who fell
in love with her professor, Peter Abelard. Their romance cost him his job, and she was expelled from the University of Paris. Women were barred from attending that university after the scandal. However, women still attended
Italian universities, and Maria di Novella became a math professor at the University of Bologna when she was 25
years old.
One of the outstanding women of the 13th century was Clare, daughter of a wealthy noble from Assisi. She
heard St. Francis speak and decided to live in poverty. Her firmness was shown when the Saracens attacked the
town, and she went to the walls; the Saracens were so impressed by her courage that they left the nuns alone. In
the care that they took of patients at the convent hospital and their example of self-denial, the nuns made others
aware of their own greed and self-centeredness.
Minorities in the Middle Ages
While most of the people in Western Europe were white Catholics, there were some among them who
were not. We need to keep in mind that our ideas about tolerance and fair play for minorities were not part of the
Medieval mind. People who were “different” were seen as a menace, and at times they were treated badly by the
majority.
Most Jews lived in the Middle East, but some had come to Europe. A few were farmers, but most became
artisans and tradesmen. The church forbade Christians to lend to each other if they charged interest, so the Jews
became bankers. Jewish moneylenders made loans at high rates of interest, not because they were greedy, but because it was almost impossible to collect if a noble or bishop refused to pay their debts.
After the Frist Crusade, anti-Jewish sentiment rose, and Jews became the victims of mob action. The Jews
turned to rulers for help and got it, but the rulers charged high taxes for their protections. In 1215, the Fourth
Lateran Council of the church required the Jews live in ghettoes, and they were to wear a yellow label. Giving in to
public anti-Jewish pressure, England and France expelled Jews in the 1290s, and many migrated to Germany. The
transplanted Jews learned to speak German and began combining it with Hebrew words. This new combined language was written in Hebrew script and became the modern Yiddish. Life in Germany was not always safe for
Jews, so some departed for Poland and Russia. Conditions there were often no better , and they would later become victims of widespread persecution. Some converted and became Christians, while others followed the teachings of Judah Halevi, who dreamed of the day when Jews could return to Jerusalem.
Spanish Jews, by contrast, were treated well by the Moslems and became skilled government officials,
bankers and physicians.
From time to time, Christian groups rejecting church doctrines came into existence. At first these heresies
(heresy is a belief going against the official church doctrine) were not taken seriously because church doctrine was
not yet clear. By the 12th century however, church beliefs were more clear, and any opposition to those beliefs was
viewed as a serious threat by the church and nobility. The Waldensians were one such opposition group. Formed
in the 12th century, they followed Peter Waldo, who believed Christians should give their property to the poor.
They often clashed with priests, so they opposed having any clergy. The Waldensians were condemned by church
councils and were persecuted, but were never completely destroyed.
Albigensians opposed the Catholic Church, describing it as an “instrument of darkness,” they also were
against meat, marriage and private ownership of property. Pope Innocent III declared a “crusade” against them,
and since Albigensians also opposed fighting, they were an easy target for their enemies. They were wiped out by
the late 1300s. No one who was different was acceptable in the Europe of the Middle Ages.
Questions
1. What was the most important rule for the Poor Clares?
2. Why did Jews become bankers?
3. What made it easy to persecute Albigensians?
Lesson 8 — The Crusades
Homework: read and answer questions
Generalization: Contact, and conquest can often impact cultural diffusion
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During the High Middle Ages, Christians from all over Europe expressed their faith in many ways. One spiritual
act especially important to many of the followers of Christ was to make a trip to the land where Jesus had lived,
walked and spread his message during his ministry. That place was known as the Holy Land. For hundreds of
years, Christian travelers called pilgrims took an inspirational tour of the land of Palestine to visit the sites spoken
of in their New Testaments: the Garden of Gethsemane, the Sea of Galilee, and the site of the Holy Sepulcher (the
traditional site where Jesus was laid to rest after his crucifixion).
Until the 11th century, Christian Europeans had no trouble gaining access to the Holy Land, despite the
presence of the Muslims who ruled there. Moslem governor had been more than happy to allow Christians into
their lands to visit their holy places. However, during the mid-11th century, a fanatical group of Moslems known
as the Seljuk Turks invaded the Near East, including the Holy Land, and occupied the region. These Moslems
were not friendly to Christians and refused to allow pilgrims to visit.
When the Seljuks raided to the north and fought a Byzantine army and defeated it in 1071, the eastern emperor appealed to the West and to the Pope to come to the rescue of Byzantium. When Constantinople itself was
threatened, the Westerners considered responding. After hearing stories of atrocities by the Moslems against
Christians in the Near East, a Western pop named Urban II finally began to rally others to offer help. In 1095, he
called Western Europeans to participate in a holy war against the Moslems.
The First Crusade led Christians rulers to commit their knights to fight to free the Holy Land once again.
The word “Crusade” was taken from the term meaning “taking the Cross.” The knights who participated in this
and other Crusades wore white cloth tunics over their armor, which bore the symbol of a red cross. While many
Europeans who went to fight did so for religious reasons, some had other motivations. A crusader became a privileged person. While away on a crusade, he did not have to pay taxes and his debts were cancelled temporarily.
Others saw opportunities to gain new lands in Syria or Palestine for themselves. Italian merchants provided many
ships to carry crusaders to the Holy Land, making huge profits for themselves.
Over a period of 200 years, there were eight distinct crusade and several smaller ventures. The First Crusade involved lords and knights from France, Germany, and southern Italy. This was the most successful of all the
crusades. Approximately 3,000 knights and 12,000 infantry helped to fight the Turkish Moslems. Ultimately these
Christian warriors were able to win great victories, including capturing Jerusalem, the Holy city.
Once these crusading knights succeeded in defeating the Turks in Syria and Asia Minor, they created a feudal Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, which lasted from 1099 to 1187. A second crusade was called in the 1140s when
the Turks were close to seeing the fall of Jerusalem. This crusade was called by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Two European leaders – Louis VII and the Byzantine Emperor Conrad III – joined forces in 1147, and had many problems just getting their armies to the Near East. They never made it to Jerusalem and this crusade failed to even
capture the city of Damascus from the Moslems. Other crusades lay ahead.
With the failure of the 2nd Crusade, the Moslems continued to strike at the fringes of the Latin Kingdom
of Jerusalem until its fall in 1187. Led by a brilliant general named Saladin, the Moslem takeover of the Holy Land
signaled the call for a third crusade. This 3rd Crusade was led by three kings: Philip Augustus of France, Richard I
(known as the Lionhearted) of England, and Frederick Barbarossa, Emperor of Germany. (“Barbarossa” was a
reference to the king’s red beard.) These three men led their armies into the crusade sometimes referred to as the
Crusade of Kings.
Their alliance was to be an uneasy one. Along the way, Philip and Richard quarreled and the French king
quit the crusade and returned home before ever reaching the Holy Land. Frederick Barbarossa drowned in a river
before seeing a single Moslem opponent. Only Richard and his army fought Saladin. Richard’s forces fought fairly well and in 1191 succeeded in capturing the Moslem-controlled city of Acre, located along the eastern Mediterranean coast, north of Jerusalem. However, he did not succeed in taking Jerusalem. In the end, Richard had to be
content with an agreement from Saladin which opened the Holy City to Christian pilgrims.
The crusades were not over. Saladin died in 1193. In 1198, a new pope, Innocent III, called for a 4th Crusade. This one went terribly wrong. Few knights volunteered to go on this crusade. Many of those who did arrive
in Venice, the great port city on the eastern coast of Italy, needing passage to the Holy Land. The Venetian merchants, seeing an opportunity for great profit, charged the crusaders so much for the voyage that most of the
knights could not afford the trip. A deal was soon struck which completely violated the ideals of the crusade. The
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Venetians offered to give the knights passage only if they agreed to attack the city of Zara first. Located on the
opposite side of the Adriatic from Venice, Zara was Venice’s rival in trade. The Christian knights agreed. The
irony was the Zara, the Venetians urged them to attack the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, another Christian community. The knights attacked Constantinople on April 12, 1204. They looted the city and
killed the emperor. Most of these knights never finished their journey to the Holy Land.
The crusaders established a new Latin Empire of Constantinople. This new kingdom did not see Byzantine rule again until 1261. This destruction by Western Christians resulted in a decline of the Eastern Empire.
Byzantium would never be as powerful as it had been before the Christian attack. This attack by Christians on
Christians brought an end to any reasonable spirit for future crusades. The final four crusades accomplished
very little. The 5th Crusade (1217-1221) was directed at Egypt, not the Holy Land, since it was a Moslem stronghold. They failed to take the city of Cairo, however, due to squabbling in their ranks.
The 6th (1248) and 7th (1270) Crusades were led by the French king, Louis IX. Both failed and Louis lost
his life in the second one. The 8th Crusade was an abject failure as well. Although the Crusades failed ultimately
to secure the Holy Land for Christians over the long run, they did help to stabilize life in Western Europe by
causing young knights to fight the Moslems or Eastern Christians rather than fight one another at home.
Crusaders Change Europe – Although the Crusades failed, they changed Europe forever. Trade between Europe and Asia grew. Europeans who went to the Holy Land learned about products such as apricots,
rice, and cotton cloth. Crusaders also brought ideas of Muslim thinkers to Europe. Politics in Europe also
changed. Some kings increased their power because many nobles and knights had died in the Holy Land. These
kings sized lands that were left without clear owners. During the later Crusader, kings also gained influence at
the pope’s expense. The popes had wanted the church to be in charge of all the Crusades. Instead, rulers and
nobles took control.
The Crusades had lasting effects on relations among people as well. Because some Crusaders had attacked Jews, many Jews distrusted Christians. In addition, tension between the Byzantines and western Christians increased, especially after Crusaders attacked Constantinople. The greatest changes occurred with Christian
and Muslim relationships. Each group learned about the other’s religion and culture. Sometimes this led to mutual respect. In general, though, the Crusaders saw Muslims as unbelievers who threatened innocent Christians.
Most Muslims viewed the Crusaders as vicious invaders. Some historians think that the distrust that began during the Crusades still affect Christian and Muslim relationships today.
Questions
1. Recall- Why did the Byzantine emperor ask Pope Urban II for help?
2. Analyzing- How did geography limit the success of the Crusades?
3. Identify cause and effect- how did the Crusades affect relations between Christian and Jews?
Lesson 9 — The Children’s Crusade
Homework: Begin Crusade Portfolio Piece — Which Crusade do you feel was the most successful and
which was the least. 2 paragraphs — reason and support
Children’s Crusade Film Notes
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6.
7.
What 2 religious divided the world during the crusades?
From what two countered did the children come?
Why were Christians mad at the Turks?
Who calls for the Crusades?
Who also went on crusade by serving the wealthy?
How long did the crusaders hold Jerusalem?
What was the Muslim response to the Crusade?
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8.
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10.
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14.
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Who united the Muslim world?
Who are the only ones wanted for the Third Crusade?
Which Pope was the most obsessed with Crusading?
Stephen was from what country?
Did the councilors of the Soubourne support Stephen?
Who starts the movement in Germany?
What was Nicholas’ symbol?
What port city do the children reach?
What caused some of the children to disperse?
What happened to the children who went to Morocco?
Does Pope Innocent support the Children’s Crusade?
What number was considered special by the Christians?
What did the redemption of vows become?
Lesson 10 — Political Changes come to Europe
Homework: Read and answer questions
Generalization: Changing needs often result in changing political styles
Magna Carta Causes Change in England – in 1215 a group of nobles decided to force the king to respect their rights. In the middle of a field called Runnymede near London, they made King John approve a document they had written. This document listing rights that the king could not ignore was called Magna Carta. Its
name is a Latin phrase meaning “Great Charter.”
The Effects of Magna Carta – Magna Carta required the king to honor certain rights. Among these
rights was habeas corpus, a Latin phrase meaning “you have the body.” The right of habeas corpus meant that
people could not be kept in jail without a reason. They had to be charged with a crime and convicted at a jury trial
before they could be sent to prison. Before, kings could arrest people for no reason at all. More importantly,
Magna Carta required that everyone – even the king – had to obey the law. The idea that everyone must follow
the law became one of the basic principles of English government.
Changes after Magna Carta – Magna Carta inspired the English to find more ways to limit the king’s
power. A council of nobles was created to advise the king. In time, the council developed into Parliament, the
highest law-making body in the United Kingdom today. Over the years, membership in Parliament was opened to
knights and town leaders. By the Middle Ages, kings could do little without Parliament’s support.
The English continued to work to secure and protect their rights. To ensure that everyone was treated
fairly, people demanded that judges be free of royal control. Many people believed judges chosen by the king
would always side with him. Eventually, in the late 1600s, the king agreed to free the courts of his control. This
creation of an independent judicial system was a key step in bringing democracy to England.
A Legal System Develops in England – in many parts of Europe, rulers could do whatever they liked.
If they wanted property, they took it. If someone argued with them too much, that person was tried for treason in
a king’s court, and if found guilty, he was hanged (if a commoner) or beheaded (if a nobleman). There was little
effort made to decide who was innocent and should be freed, or who was guilty and deserved punishment. In
England, by the 13th century, some interesting changes were being made in law that had a great effect on the legal
systems used later in the United Kingdom and the United States.
By the time Henry II became king in 1154, civil and criminal law had already been split. Civil law usually
involves an argument over property, and the court’s role is to be an umpire. For example in the case of Smith v.
Jones, Smith is the plaintiff (the one who claims to have been wronged), and Jones is the defendant (the one accused). The court decides if Smith has a legitimate complaint. Criminal law covers actions by an individual that
the government says cannot be allowed. In the terms of that time, the action violated the “king’s peace.” The
punishment udder criminal law for violating the “king’s peace” was fine, imprisonment, or death. Henry ordered
that every country have a jail.
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The jury of that time was much different than our juries today. In 1166, Henry II ordered that each sheriff appoint 12 good men out of every 100 to be jurors. The jurors of that time investigated rumors they had
heard about the local person who, for example, was stealing chickens. If they were convinced the person might
have done it, the jury ordered the sheriff to arrest that person and bring him before the judge. These changes
were called “presentments.” In the 13th century, a second jury was formed; it was called a petit (petty) jury, and it,
rather than a judge, decided guilt or innocence. However, most trials were decided by a judge.
Another of Henry’s major changes was developing common law. It was so-named because law was intended to be the same in all of England. When a judge wanted to decide a case, he looked up opinions that had
been given by judges in similar cases. If the judge saw something similar, but his case involved other facts that
were different, he wrote up his opinion. At the end of a year, these opinions were gathered in the “Year Book.”
Questions
1. Explain- how did habeas corpus affect their rights of citizens?
2. Identify – what document did English nobles hope would limit the king’s power?
3. Summarizing- how did Magna Carta and Parliament limit the king’s power?
Lesson 11 — The Black Death
Homework: Read and answer questions
Generalization: Disasters and diseases can often have both short and long term impacts
John, the smith, was one of those in the 14th century who began running a high fever and whose lymph glands
swelled up in his neck. Jeanne, his sister, began hemorrhaging and vomiting blood. No physician was needed to
tell them what their problem was. They had the plague. There was no cure, and their life expectancy was now a
few days. After their painful deaths, John and Jeanne’s bodies were taken out of the house by one of the city’s
poor and dumped in an open grave. No one understood why they died, and being commoners, no one cared.
To the 20th century witness, their deaths were not as mysterious. The bubonic plague (Black Death) was
spread because of the fleas on black rats or from contract with a person who had the disease. Ships carried the
plague from the Middle East to Italy in 1347, and it quickly spread to France, Spain, England, and Russia. It
killed saint and sinner, poor and rich, male and female, without much discrimination. Because cities were so
overcrowded, contact with plague carriers was more common there than in rural areas, but no one was safe.
With no known way to avoid the disease, frightened people began to look for any possible solution.
Some joined the flagellation movement and beat themselves until their bodies were black and blue. It was hoped
that by confessing their sins and going through this self-imposed torment, God’s anger would be satisfied. The
movement was finally stopped by Pope clement VI, who threatened to excommunicate the flagellants. Many rulers refused to permit their ceremonies to be performed in public,
Jews had long drunk water from moving streams rather than wells; in this time of mass fear, some
charged the reason for that unusual behavior was that Jews were poisoning the wells. It did not seem to matter
that Jews were also dying from the plague. Terrible slaughters of Jews took place in Strasbourg, Mainz, and other
European cities.
The houses of the infected were quarantined, and no one was allowed to leave. However, some plague
victims managed to escape their houses at night, and officers let them go because they were afraid to touch them.
By 1350, the worst of the crisis was over; by then, between 25 and 33 percent of Europe’s population had died in
the plague. Some cities were especially hard hit. Florence lost about two out of three people.
There were many effects of the plague. Europe’s population was greatly reduced. Feudal obligations
ended with the death of the noble and his family. In most places, the manor system fell apart completely. There
weren’t enough people left to work in the fields. Those peasants and serfs who had survived the plague found
their skills in high demand. Suddenly, they could demand wages for their labor. Once they had money, many
fled their manors completely, moving instead to Europe’s growing cities. Workers received higher wages than
even before, but costs went up too. Many monks and priests had died, and their replacements were of poor quality in comparison with them. It would take centuries for Europe to recover from the plague.
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Questions
1. Explain - Why did the plague spread faster in cities than rural areas?
2. Explain- how did the Black Death contribute to the decline of the manor system?
3. Elaborate- why do you think the Black Death was able to spread so quickly through Europe?
Unit 9 Study Guide
Normans – Vikings who settled in Northern France - named Normandy
- Norman Invasion – led by William of Normandy (William the Conqueror)
- Battle of Hasting (1066) – Norman takeover of England
- began the Norman Invasion and death of King Harold
Feudalism – major political and social system of the Middle Ages
- nobles often more powerful than kings
- systems of duties and obligations between lords and vassals
- exchange of land for promise of military support
- lord’s duties
- soldiers for common defense, fix roads, judge disputes between vassals, feed lord and
his household during progression
- vassal’s duties
- clearly defined roles in society
Manor System
- system of duties and obligations
- exchange of labor for protection
- Serf – lowest social class – did the majority of the labor – bound to the land
- peasants – were free farmers who owned small plots of land
Social Hierarchy – Feudal Society
King or monarch, lord or noble, knight or warrior, serf or peasant
Roman Catholic Church
- led by the Pope, who lives in Vatican City (the Vatican) and the Papal States
- power of the pope
- Papal Bulls – writing letters to explain religious teachings
- Heretics and excommunication – decided when someone was acting against the church
- providing guidance on how to live and pray
- most important influence on Medieval Europe
- built cathedrals
- Conflicts between Church and State
- Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV
- who should have the power to appoint church officials
- who was more powerful, king or pope
Jews often persecuted and discriminated against because they were different
- did not practice Christianity
- did not assimilate into the local culture
Crusades
- results
- increased power of the king
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- loss of power for the pope
- increase in trade
- increase in desire for goods from the East
- increased the growth of towns and cities
- increased standard of living
- spread on knowledge through cultural diffusion
- weakening of feudalism
Political Changes
- for stable monarchy – kings needed an heir and a spare
- problem with dividing land between sons
- conflict between sons for power – civil war
- Magna Carta – 1215
- limited the power of the king – even kings had to obey the law
- some rights to the nobles and a few freeman
- led to the development of representative government in Europe (English Parliament)
Black Death
- spread quickly because trade routes brought the plague from Asia to Europe
- rats carrying diseased fleas infested ships and houses
- results
- increase in standard of living – fewer workers so they could demand higher wages (shortage of
labor)
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