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Life in the Late
Middle Ages
Height of Medieval Civilization
 By the beginning of the 14th century,
European society had reached stability
and prosperity.
 The economy (while still largely based on
farming- manorialism) was growing,
population ballooned, weather and
harvests were good, political (feudalism)
and religious life (Catholicism) were
stable.
 This drastically changed in the middle
14th century.
The Black Death
 Black Death (1347):
 loss of 1/3 of European population
(mostly in cities)
 Causes: bubonic plague carried by fleas
on Asian black rats; poor sanitation,
overcrowded homes, poor health, poor
hygiene, poor housing, change in climate
conditions (little ice age)
The Black Death
 Results: Severe impact on European
economy; in some areas workers
enjoyed higher wages;
 Best of clergy died (staying behind to
help the sick); Jews blamed; serfdom
ended in many areas; first enclosure of
fields in Britain
 Population did not reach pre-plague
level until the mid-16th century.
Crisis in the Catholic
Church
 Early Criticisms of the church
 Marsiglio de Padua: Defender of Peace –
Church should be subordinate to the state
Church should be governed by a council of laity
and priests superior to pope.
 John Wyclif (1320-1384): church should only
follow Scripture; English translation of Bible;
his later followers were Lollards
 John Huss (1369-1415): ideas similar to
Wyclif; nationalist party in Czech (Bohemia)
 Hussites: followers of Huss who staged large
rebellions in 14th century.
Crisis in the Catholic
Church
 Babylonian Captivity (1305-1378): 7
successive popes resided at Avignon,
France. Damaged papal prestige (esp. in
England & Germany); Rome’s economy
damaged
 Great Schism (c. 1378-1417): Further
conflict led to election of two popes—one
in Rome, one in France; further hurt
prestige of church.
Crisis in the Catholic
Church
 Conciliar Movement (14091418): Council of Pisa and
Council of Constance, ended
schism; failed as movement to
put power in a church council;
pope’s power still supreme
Hundred Years’ War (13371453)
 Cause—English lays claim to large
areas of French land.
 Three phases:
 Early English Victories: Crecy (1346)
and Poitiers (1356)
 French reclaim territory and stalemate
 English victories: Agincourt (1415),
French regain lands
Hundred Years’ War (13371453)
 Joan of Arc: led French army to
victory at Orleans during crucial
stage of the war
 Results: France kicks England
out; creation of modern nation
states begin (“New
Monarchs”). Innovations in
war technology: longbow,
cannon, infantry. Decimation
of landed nobles.
Peasant Revolts
 Causes: taxation during Hundred Years’
War, desire for higher wages after
Black Death, hostility toward
aristocracy, and higher expectations
among peasantry.
 English Peasant Revolt (1381):
 ~Jacquerie in France (late 14th-early
15th c.)
 Results: revolts crushed; end of
serfdom in England c. 1550
Life in Later Middle Ages
 Marriage: avg. age for men = mid-20s;
women = 16-18 divorce was unheard of,
economic reasons most important for
marriage (love not until 18th-19th
centuries)
 Work: agricultural cycles and church
ritual closely linked, small % of men
were artisans in towns; protected by
guilds. Serfdom reduced in many areas
Life in Later Middle Ages
 Recreation: aristocracy – jousting
tournaments; common people—archery,
wrestling, bull-baiting, bear-baiting;
alcoholism rampant
 Medieval philosophy: scholasticism (St.
Thomas Aquinas)
 Attempted to reconcile faith and reason by
using logic to support Christian doctrine
 Worked to reconcile Aristotle’s ideas with
Christianity.
Results of the Great
Century Crisis
th
14
 Feudalism in decline due to the
decimation of the nobility in the 100 yrs
war.
 Manorialism breaking down due to
increased peasant rights as a result of
population decline during the Black
Death.
 Catholicism’s supremacy in question due
to the Great Schism.