The Middle Ages; Ch 13, section 3: pages 328-337

Medieval (Latin for “middle ages”)

Europe500-1500 CE• Kings and Queens• Lords and Ladies• Kingdoms and Castle

Christian Church and Society

• The Importance of the Church-After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe broke up into smaller kingdoms.-Each kingdom had it’s own language, laws and customs.-Religion (Christianity) tied all kingdoms together.-The church influenced art, politics and daily lives in the Middle Ages.

The Christian Church and Politics

• The Church had a lot of political power• Pope was the head of the Christian church-Started a religious war or Crusade against the church’s enemies in Southwest Asia.-Wanted Europeans to take over the Holy Land (region where Jesus lived)-Holy Land was controlled by the Muslim peoples.-Crusaders thought they were liberating the Holy Land-The Crusades did not drive out the Muslims, but did bring back to their kingdoms new goods and ideas about science, medicine and architecture. IN 6.1.5

The Church and Art

• During the Middle Ages, most art was religious based

• Gothic Architecture, a style known for its high pointed ceilings, tall towers, and stained glass windows.

Cologne Cathedral in Germany

Example of Middle Ages paintings

The Church and Daily Life

• Most people worshipped in small churches• Markets, festivals and religious ceremonies all took

place in village churches.• Local priests told people how to live and act.• Most people could not read or write, the local

churches kept records for the villages.

Life in the Middle Ages

• The Feudal SystemThe system of exchanging land for military service.-Kings owned all the land of their kingdom-Would give land to nobles (people born into wealthy, powerful families)-Nobles gave land to knights in exchange for protection of their land . -Some wealthy women became property owners, but very few.

The Manor System

• A manor was a large estate owned by a knight or a noble

-Included large house or castle, fields, pastures, forests and a village where workers would live.-Workers (free peasants or serfs) farmed the land in exchange for a small piece of land to live on and farm-Serfs were not free people, could not leave the manor.

A Manor and it’s surrounding lands.

Feudal System word bank

jester apprentice masterjourneyman minstrel barterfair feudalism vassalshire monarch medievalmarket lordguild• Copy in your spiral, use for your homework• Spelling Test Thursday?

Towns and Trade

• Paris and London started out as towns in the Middle Ages.

• People sold goods or traded• By 1000 CE, trading became popularTowns grew into cities, people became wealthier• Cities became the center of European culture

Changes in Medieval Society• Political Changes in England-1066, William the Conqueror from France, sailed to England and overthrew the king.-Changed the government of England, future kings followed his lead.-By 1100s, the king of England was one of the most powerful men in Europe.-William’s descendant, king John tried to raise taxes. The king had ultimate power, the nobles disagreed.

King John forced to sign the Magna Carta

1215, The Magna Carta was written, the king was forced to sign.-States that the law, not the king is the supreme power in England-U.S. constitution is based on the Magna Carta

Historical Document/ The Magna Carta IN 6.2.3

The Black Death

• 1347 the Black Death swept through Europe

• The carrier was fleas on rats

• Over 1/3 of people in Europe died, 200 million people

The Black Death sweeps through Europe.

Black Death Symptoms

• Painful swellings, turned from red to black. Finally burst open• High fever, bleeding in lungs, victims would die w/i 2-4 days

Results of the Black Death IN 6.1.7

• Less people, wages rose• Farmland was turned to pasture• Peasants moved from the country to cities• Decline of the Feudal System• People became disillusioned with the church

which led the way for Reformation-A reform movement against the Catholic Church that began in 1517; it resulted in the creation of Protestant churches

The fight for power

• 1337, the Hundred Years’ war began-Famous French leader of troops-Joan of Arc-Kings of England and France fighting for power-French won-Took land from Nobles, to rule themselves-France became a nation-state, a country united under a single strong government.-First European country, from kingdom to country