Download WHI.12 The Late Medieval Period

WHI.12 The Late Medieval Period
The Late Medieval Period
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During the late medieval period, some of the
feudal states of Europe developed into
strong nation-states.
A nation-state is a large group of people who
are ruled by one central government, who
share a common language, and who feel
some loyalty to the group.
The rise of nation-states marked the end of
feudalsim and a decline in the power of the
Catholic church.
The Late Medieval Period
 In 987, Hugh Capet established a new
monarchy in France. He established the
French throne in Paris, and his dynasty
gradually expanded their control over most of
France.
 Along the French coast there was a region
called Normandy. In 1066, William, the Duke
of Normandy, crossed the English channel. At
the Battle of Hasting he conquered England
and became known as William the Conqueror.
The Late Medieval Period
 The English system of law is called common
law. It had its beginnings during the reign of
Henry II. Common law is law that is
developed by decisions through court judges
rather than a legislative assembly. It is based
on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar
facts differently on different occasions. The
power of the King of England was limited
when King John was forced to sign the Magna
Carta.
The Late Medieval Period
 Fighting between the English and French
kings made the people of France and England
think of themselves as separate nations.
 Beginning in 1337, the English and the French
fought over territory in France. This period of
fighting is called the Hundred Years’ War.
The Late Medieval Period
 In 1429 a young
French peasant girl
named Joan of Arc
inspired the French
troops to victory in the
Battle of Orleans.
 Because of this victory,
the French united
under their king and
drove the English out
of France.
The Late Medieval Period
 In 1469 the
marriage of
Ferdinand of Aragon
and Isabella of
Castile united all the
sections of Spain into
one country.
 By 1492 they had
forced the Muslim
Moors out of Spain.
The Late Medieval Period
 Under the
leadership of
Phillip II, Spain
conquered large
parts of the
Americas. The
American gold
and silver
brought wealth to
the Spanish
Empire.
The Late Medieval Period
 The nation of Russia had its beginnings in the
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area around Moscow.
The Mongols, a tribe from north-central China,
defeated the Russians in the early 1200s.
Ivan III, known as Ivan the Great, threw off the
rule of the Mongols, centralized power in Moscow
and expanded the Russian nation.
Ivan the Terrible called himself tsar, the Russian
word for caesar or emperor.
The Orthodox Church (Christian) influenced the
unification of Russia with common goals and
beliefs.
The Late Medieval Period
 In 1071 the Seljuk Turks took over land in
the Byzantine Empire and spread their Muslim
religion. When they conquered the Christians
Holy Lands, Christians in Europe became
alarmed.
 In 1095 Pope Urban II appealed to the lords
and knights of Europe to free the Holy Land
from the Seljuk Turks. He wanted Jerusalem
to be under Christian control.
The Late Medieval Period
 Pope Urban’s appeal
created excitement.
Lords and knights,
eager for glory,
adventure and
wealth began to
organize armies.
Thus, the Crusades
began.
The Late Medieval Period
 The Crusades were
religious wars to take
control of the Holy
Land.
 In the First Crusade,
in 1099, Christians
succeeded in
conquering Jerusalem.
When the warriors
returned home, the
Muslims reconquered
the city.
The Late Medieval Period
 As a result of the
First Crusade,
several small
crusader states were
created. One of
these states was the
Kingdom of
Jerusalem.
The Late Medieval Period
 During the Third Crusade the King of England,
Richard the Lionhearted led the Crusaders.
After many battles, the Muslim leader
Saladinwas able to maintain control of
Jerusalem.
 In 1204, the Fourth Crusade ended with the
Christian warriors entering the city of
Constantinople stealing much of its wealth,
and setting fire to the city.
 The Crusades were not successful.
The Late Medieval Period
 The Crusades had the following effects on
Western Europe:
 the authority of the Popeand the nobles were
weakened
 the power of the kings was strengthened
 Trade was stimulated
 the Byzantine Empire was weakened
 there were bitter feelings among Christians,
Jews and Muslims
The Late Medieval Period
 The Mongols, an
aggressive group of
people from China,
attacked the Muslim
nations in Southwest
Asia. They destroyed
the great cities of the
Islamic nations and
weakened the
Byzantine Empire.
The Late Medieval Period
 In 1453,
Constantinople, the
last city of the
Byzantine Empire,
was conquered by a
group of Turks called
the Ottomans.
 Constantinople
became the capital of
the Ottoman Empire.
The Late Medieval Period
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From 1347 to 1353 the Black Death spread
through Europe killing one-third of the
population. It is also known as the Bubonic
Plague.
Trying to escape death, many people migrated
across Europe. This migration helped to spread
the disease.
Death and migration weakened feudalism and
boosted the rise of the money economy. Since
many serfs died, the remaining ones began
demanding wages for their work.
The Late Medieval Period
 During this time of death, the Catholic church
prestige was weakened. Because the clergy
cared for the sick, many of the priests died.
Those who fled from the plague were seen as
cowards.
 The Church could not end the plague and
could not even explain the reasons for it.
People began to question the wisdom,
courage and power of their religious leaders.
 There was a disruption in trade.
The Late Medieval Period
 Education was largely confined to the clergy
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during the Middle Ages. The masses of people
were uneducated, while the nobility was
concerned with their feudal obligations.
Church scholars were among the few who could
read and write.
They worked in monasteries where they
translated Greek and Arabic works into latin.
These scholars made new knowledge in
philosophy, medicine and science available in
Europe.
They laid the foundation for the rise of
universities in Europe.