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The Middle Ages
500-1500 AD
What Caused the Middle Ages?
Remember the Romans?—the empire being so vast and constantly
attacked?
In 476 AD that led to the fall of the empire and caused changes
including:
-Disruption of Trade—merchants were attacked and
businesses collapsed
-Downfall of Cities—abandoned as centers of
administration
-Population Shifts—the wealthy class left the cities, with no
leadership others followed
The results of these problems:
Decline of
learning
many invaders were
illiterate (couldn’t read)
Loss of common
language
The Roman language of
Latin was forgotten
Loss of a
government
Independent nations and
kingdoms developed
Two Powers Unite
•511 AD—Clovis, a Frankish king, attempted to unite some of
the kingdoms. And he was successful…why?
•Because he allied himself with the Catholic Church. Church
and state were now one.
The Church Gains Power
•With a united front, the popes
increased the role of the Church in
communities, politics and war.
•The focus was now both secular,
or worldly, and religious. They
raised armies, made roads and
helped the poor.
•Monasteries, or religious
communities, were built to house
monks who devoted their lives to
God.
•Monks opened schools and
libraries and made copies of rare
books.
Clovis and His Descendants
Clovis
511 AD
First Christian
leader, united the
Franks
Charles Martel
(The Hammer)
732 AD
Defeated Muslim
invaders in Spain
Pepin the Short
751 AD
Fought for the
Church, anointed
King
Charlemagne
(The Great)
771 AD
Spread Christianity,
reunited Western
Europe, encouraged
learning and schools
Charlemagne’s Legacy is Destroyed
1. Charlemagne’s grandsons fought and
divided the newly-made empire.
2. Invasions from Vikings, Magyars and
Muslims caused disorder.
3. Life was hard, someone had to fix things…
The Rise of Feudalism
•The solution was the feudal system—a
military and political system based on
land ownership and loyalty.
•It was based on the Japanese and
Chinese system.
Feudalism in a Nutshell
Providing services
You pledged loyalty
in gratitude
Land received was
called a fief
You became a vassal
when you got land
1. King—leader, granted fiefs
2. Clergy—church officials
3. Nobles—lords were vassals and who also
gave fiefs to knights
4. Knights—warriors who fought for lords in
exchange for fiefs
5. Peasants—field workers
Feudalism
To Be a Knight:
Training:
•7 years as a page—learn manners and
strategy
•7 years as a squire—learn how to take
care of armor, weapons, and horses
A knight lived by a strict code called
chivalry—rules that demanded bravery
and honor. To die in action was a free
ticket to heaven.
A Knight’s Code of Chivalry
England Rules
Throughout Europe
there were constant
struggles for political
power. One person
who changed the
course of European
history was the Duke
of Normandy-William
the Conqueror, who
invaded England in
1066 AD. He won a
major battle at
Hastings and took
control of England.
Middle Ages, Feudalism,
and Crusades
The Church in Europe
•From the time of
Charlemagne, the
Holy Roman Empire
was the strongest.
•Canon law (Church)
became one with
common law
(people)
A Test for the Church
•Church inspiration brought a renewal of faith and zeal.
•Calls came from around Europe for the Church’s influence
and strength.
•The most important was a Crusade, or holy war. Pope
Urban II received a letter asking for help in reclaiming the
Holy Land of Jerusalem from the Muslim Turks.
Constantinople: Gateway to the Crusades
From all over Europe knights and kings joined in the fight to
save the Holy Land. Each crusade took months of
journeying across the continent and through Constantinople.
Richard
The Crusades
Throughout the crusades, control
bounced back and forth, but
ultimately, Christian control of the
Holy Land was never maintained.
The Crusades
So what were the results?
1. Pope’s power declined
2. King’s power increased
3. Trade from Europe to Asia increased
Life After the Crusades
•In the 13th and 14th centuries, medieval
society began to change. Learning and
science were renewed.
•In cities guilds—associations of
people with the same job—formed and
began to control wages and prices.
Life After the Crusades
•As cities grew, so did the population.
•The three-field system was developed. Land is
divided into 3 parts, 2 for planting, and 1 is left
fallow—unused—which allows for healthier crops
from year-to-year.
•Harnesses for horses were also developed for faster
plowing.
Death After the Crusades
Just when things were getting
back to what could be called
normal, disaster struck!...
…The Black Plague swept through
Europe starting in 1347. The plague
spread from fleas on rats carried on
merchant ships from the far east.
Death After the Crusades
Results of the Plague:
•Population
decreased
•Church lost power
•Prices increased
•Trade decreased
This scourge had implanted so great a terror in the
hearts of men and women that brothers abandoned
brothers, uncles their nephews, sisters their
brothers, and in many cases wives deserted their
husbands. But even worse, . . . fathers and mothers
refused to nurse and assist their own children.
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO, The Decameron
A Change for the Better
During the Middle Ages, peasants and nobles alike
were also making changes. They wanted more rights
and to limit the power of the king. Why?
One Reason: King John
King John took the throne
and immediately made
changes. He taxed people
and made strict laws. The
nobles became tired of this
and forced King John to
sign the Magna Carta by
threatening to kill him.
John the Softsword
What Did the Magna Carta Do?
Well, it did many things and not
everything was enforced, but
signed in 1215 it:
•Limited John’s power
•Gave political rights
•Provided trial by jury
•No taxation w/o representation