Download The Early Middle Ages

The Early
Middle Ages
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• During the early middle ages, 500 to
1000, Europe was isolated from the
more advanced civilizations in the
Middle East, South Asia and China.
A Land of Great Potential
• Roman roads connected places,
spreading Christianity, classical
ideas, and the Latin language.
Geography:
Western Europe:
relatively small
Resources:
• Dense forests
• Rich black earth
good for farming
• Rich minerals
• Seas
(Mediterranean,
Black, North, Baltic),
and Atlantic Ocean
Germanic Tribes
Farmers and herders
•
Very different than the Romans
•
Small communities (no cities)
•
No written laws, relied on custom
•
Ruled by kings
•
Noble warriors
• Divided Western Europe into small
kingdoms.
• Most successful kingdom: Franks
Islam: A New
Mediterranean Power
• Conquered Christian kingdoms in
Spain and North Africa.
• Tried to conquer France but lost the
Battle of Tours (732).
Charlemagne
(Charles the Great)
Around A.D. 800
• His empire unified Europe (France,
Germany, Italy)—put together the old
Roman Empire
•Tall man, intimidating on a horse
(giant), liked fighting
•Spent most of his time fighting Muslims
(Moors) in Spain, Saxons in the North,
Avars and Slavs in the east and
Lombards in Italy.
•Crowned emperor by the Pope 
paving way to split between East and
West (*Eastern emperor was not
happy!*)
Charlemagne’s Government
 Tried to spread Christianity.
 Appointed missi domini to check on
provinces
A Revival of Learning
•
•
•
Tried to revive learning of Latin
Tried to reverse the trend of ignorance
Set up a school at Aachen run by
Alcuin
Subjects: grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music and
astronomy
Books: Bible, ancient manuscripts
New Attacks
– After Charlemagne’s death,
Muslims, Magyars and Vikings
attacked.
– Vikings were the most vicious attackers but
traded extensively too.
Leif Eriksson – sailed to N.A. in 1,000.
Political
Feudalism- A political system which
exchanges land for military service.
– King gives lord (vassal) a fief
(land). In exchange, the lord
(vassal) gives the king his loyalty
and protection when needed.
– Lords gradually became more
powerful than kings as they
acquired more land.
Feudalism
King or lord
Vassal or lord
Required to
give:
Required to
give:
-Fief (land)
-loyalty
-military service
Social
• Kings and Lords were at the top of the social
hierarchy.
• Knights- mounted warriors
– Chivalry- code of
– conduct for knights
– (be brave, loyal,
polite)
• Feudal lords battled constantly for power
and land
• By the 1100’s, fighting declined so lords
held tournaments (fake battles) to entertain
people.
• Serfs- peasants who worked the lord’s land
– They could not leave without permission
– They paid the lord rent in food and labor (no
$$) for use of the land and protection.
• Role of Women
– Noblewomen managed the household and
were in change when men were away.
– Rights:
•
•
•
•
Received a limited inheritance
Arranged marriages, expected to have many kids
Few knew how to read and write
Chivalry raised women to a new status. They were
protected and cherished.
Economic
Manorialism- an economy where land, not
money, is the basis of wealth
Manor- the lord’s estate,
which included the
town, peasant houses,
church, and fields
- Self-sufficient, which
led to a decline
in trade
• Three-field systemtwo fields planted, one
left fallow (empty) to
regain fertility