Download The Middle Ages

The Middle English Period
1066-1485
The Medieval Period
The Dark Ages
The Date 1066
Historically – The
Battle of Hastings and
the end of the AngloSaxon Period.
Literarily –
Development of the
English Language
which is known as
“Middle English.”
The Normans or “North Men”
Once Viking raiders, they settled on the
coast of France.
William (the Conqueror), Duke of
Normandy, became the first King of
England.
William introduced the practices of the
French to England – beginning the Middle
Ages.
Feudalism
A political and
economic system in
which the hierarchy of
power was based on
the premise that the
king owned all of the
land in the kingdom.
William the Conqueror
Feudalism in England
William kept a fourth of the land for
himself, granted a fourth to the church, and
he divided the remaining land to loyal
nobles – mostly Norman barons.
The nobles would either pay the king or
would supply him with warriors called
knights.
Feudalism Hierarchy
Earthly Hierarchy
King
Lords
Knights
Serfs
Divine Order
God
Angels
Man
Animate/Inanimate Objects
Satan
The Lowest Class – The Serfs
The conquered AngloSaxons became the
serf class.
Serfs were peasants
bound to land they
could not own.
The Lords
Lords built strong castles
to protect Norman interest.
Constructed around the
same time as the Tower of
London (late 11th century),
Dover Castle stands as one
of the earliest castles built
by William the Conqueror
after his conquest of
Anglo-Saxon England.
The Church
Great cathedrals and
abbeys were erected
on the new church
lands.
Margam Abbey was a
Cistercian monastery. It
was founded in 1147 as a
daughter house of
Clairvaux by Robert, Earl
of Gloucester and was
dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
The Role of Women in Feudal Society
A woman’s position in
society depended on that
of her husband or father.
A woman and her property
were always under the
control of a man.
A widow would be
controlled by her eldest
son or her husband’s
overlord.
Woman’s Role Continued
A woman’s principal occupation would be:
– Running of the household
– Spinning, weaving, and sewing
A woman held the same rank as her
husband.
– In his absence, she controlled the household
and whatever land he owned.
– Her responsibility could include authority over
hundreds of people.
King William’s Successors
Henry I – died in 1135. Henry was a weak
ruler and his death prompted a power
struggle between the lords and Henry’s
daughter Matilda.
Matilda’s son became King Henry II in
1154.
Henry II is one of medieval England’s most
memorable rulers.
Henry II
Reformed the judicial system
– instituted royal courts throughout the country
– established a series of juries
– initiated the formation of English common law
Elinor of Aquitaine: Henry’s Wife
A former French queen who had brought
with her vast land holdings in France.
Brought with her the ideals of chivalry
– A code of honor intended to govern knightly
behavior
– The code encouraged knights to honor and
protect ladies and to go on holy quests.
• The Crusades – European Christians attempted to
wrest the holy city of Jerusalem from Moslem
control. (1096-1270)
Richard I:
Richard the Lion-Hearted.
Reigned as king for 10
years.
Spent much of this
time fighting in the
Crusades and in
France protecting
England’s holdings.
King John – “The Villain of Many
Robin Hood Legends”
Signed the Magna Carta (“Great Charter”) in 1215.
The document, a declaration of feudal rights, stressed three
points.
– First, the Church was free to make ecclesiastic
appointments.
– Second, larger-than-normal amounts of money could
only be collected with the consent of the king's feudal
tenants.
– Third, no freeman was to be punished except within the
context of common law.
The Magna Carta, although a testament to John's complete
failure as monarch, was the forerunner of modern
constitutions.
The Magna Carta
Granted more power to the lords – was an early
step to democracy
Henry III (John’s son) established an advisory
council of lords – now call a parliament – began to
meet regularly.
Edward I (Henry’s successor) the Model
Parliament of 1295 established
– the inclusion of commoners (House of Commons)
– as well as the lords (House of Lords)
The Decline of Feudalism
As commoners’ power increased, so did the
growth of medieval towns.
The Crusades led to an increase in trade.
Merchants and craftspeople formed organizations
called “guilds” to control the price and flow of
goods.
Guilds also established rules for advancing from
apprentice to master craftsman.
The growth of towns meant the decline of
feudalism.
The Medieval Town
Wealth was no longer based on land
ownership.
Aided in the development of the middle
class/merchant class.
The increasing population of townspeople
led to poor sanitation.
Diseases, like plague, could spread rapidly.
The Medieval Town
Centers of commerce.
Universities became England’s chief centers of
learning
Oxford University
– Roger Bacon advanced study of science and
mathematics
– John Wycliffe led an effort to end widespread church
corruption
– Eventually, Wycliffe’s teachings would influence
religious reformer Martin Luther.
The Hundred Years’ War
War that began in 1337 between England and
France.
Took place during Wycliffe’s church reform
efforts.
England also was weathering crisis at home
– The Black Death (killed 1/3 of England’s population)
– The Peasant Revolt of 1381
– Richard II’s forced abdication of the throne in 1399
The War of the Roses
Two rival families claim the throne of England.
House of York – the white rose
House of Lancaster – the red rose
The War of the Roses ended in 1485 with
Lancastrian Henry Tudor killed the Yorkist King
Richard III at Bosworth Field and took the throne
as Henry VII.
The beginning of the Tudor Dynasty ends the
Middle Language Period of literature and signals
the beginning of the Renaissance.