The Middle Ages500-1500 AD, Western Europe

The Medieval EraThe Dark Ages

The Middle Ages500-1500 AD, Western Europe

The Middle Ages in Europe were influenced by…

Classical heritage of Rome

Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church

Customs of Germanic tribes

The “Dark Ages”Business & trade declined as a result of

invasion.Money became scarce (hard to find).People left cities & moved to rural areas,

where they could grow their own food.Learning declined.The common language, Latin, evolved into

many different languages (Spanish, Italian, French, etc).

FeudalismA political & economic

system based on land ownership

A peasant or serf worked the land of a lord in exchange for military protection.

Feudalism

FeudalismStructure of society like a

pyramid: King at the top followed by wealthy vassals

(nobles & church officials) knights (protected & fought for

their lords in exchange for a small fiefdom)

Peasants at the bottom (who owned no land but provided labor in exchange for protection.

Most peasants were serfs, people who could not lawfully leave the place they were born.

ManorThe manor was the lord’s

estate. The lord provided serfs with

housing, farmland, & protection. The serfs tended the land, cared for animals, & maintained the estate.

Manors were self-sufficient communities, containing their own church, workshops, & mills.

Manor

Manor

Manor

Life of Peasants Peasants paid taxes

for grinding grain in the lord’s mill for marriage 1/10 of their income to the church

Rarely traveled more than 25 miles from their manor

Lived in one & two-room houses, dirt floor, animals often slept in house to add warmth

Illness & malnutrition common Average lifetime was about 35

years