Unit 5 (Middle Ages)

• 500 CE – 1500 CE in Europe.

• Also called the Medieval Period or Dark Ages.
 If government collapsed what would you do?

• What would you do for protection?

• What would you do for food?

 Middle Ages
• People of Europe faced these same questions
after the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE.

• This time period is called the Middle Ages.

 Middle Ages
• 500 CE – 1500 in Europe.
• Also called the Medieval Period or Dark Ages.
• Caused by the collapse of the Roman Empire
in 476 CE.
• People fled the cities and moved to the
countryside for jobs (farming) & protection
(castles).
 Protection??
• Political system of Feudalism (Land for loyalty).
 Food??
• Economic system of Manorialism (Land for
Labor).
Big Idea: Following the fall of the Roman
Empire, divergent societies emerged in
Europe. (page 3)
 What became of Rome after it “fell?”

• The eastern half became known as the

Byzantine Empire!!! It went through a golden
age.
 Page 4
• The western half collapsed and went through
what is known as the Middle Ages. This is also
called the Dark Ages.
 Changes after the fall of Rome
• The Middle Ages, or Medieval period, lasted from
about 500 to the middle of the 1400s. The collapse of
the Roman empire had left Western Europe with no
unifying government. In response, political and social
systems emerged, such as Feudalism and
Manorialism, that were based on powerful local lords
and their lands. A strict social hierarchy existed
during the Middle Ages. The Christian Church
emerged as a unifying force in Western Europe and
had great influence over economic and social as well
as religious life.
 Big Ideas:
• There was disorder for a time after the collapse of the
Roman Empire.

• Wealthy landowners dominated society and provided

people with PROTECTION.

• People relied on the Christian Church for spiritual

and political guidance.

• Achievements in art and architecture centered around

Christianity.
Charlemagne 400-843 CE (page 5)
Charles Martel
 Charlemagne
• https://vimeo.com/106872140
• Start at 59:40-1:09.
 The Rise of the Franks

• From about 400 to 700 warrior tribes divided

Europe and fought for control of various
territories.

• Franks were the most powerful & successful

of the tribes in Gaul (France).
 Charlemagne – Frankish King

• Built an empire that stretched along France,

Germany & part of Italy.

• Charlemagne helped out the Pope against rebels.

In return he was made king. H.R. Emperor.

• Attempted to create a united Europe, spreading

Christianity to the far ends of his empire.
 Government:

• Nobles ruled local areas; they were given land

in return to help defend the empire
 Learning:

• Schools were set up to ensure the education of

government officials.

• Established libraries.
 End of Charlemagne’s Reign

• When he died his empire was divided into 3

separate kingdoms, one for each grandson.
 Long Term Effects

• Strong government was a model for future

medieval leaders.

• Helped spread Christianity to N. Europe.

Page 6
Middle Ages (page 6)
Viking Invasions
FEUDALISM BRINGS PROTECTION (page 7)
 Feudalism
• The lord gave the vassal land.

• The vassal gave the lord loyalty.

• This exchange of pledges was called

Feudalism.
 Manorialism
• The lord gave the serf land.

• The serf gave the lord labor.

• Manorialism is the economic structure that

shaped medieval Europe.
The Social Structure of Feudal Society (page 8 in packet)

• Everyone has a well-defined place in

medieval society. People were born into their
social positions, and there was little chance
of moving beyond them.

• Therefore, this was a society built around

social class structure.
 Knights
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Zyn1ABmKBBY
The Social Structure of Feudal Society
 The Social Structure of Feudal Society

1) Church (RCC)
2) Kings (Monarchs)
3) Nobility (Lords)
4) Knights & Vassals
5) Serfs & Peasants
Social Hierarchy (page 9)
 Social Hierarchy
1a. Roman Catholic Church.

1b. Papal Supremacy– control over all rulers.

2a. Serfs & Peasants.

2b. Hate it but accept because promised a

better life in heaven.
 Social Hierarchy
3a. Born into class; religion most important.

3b. Feudalism- Catholic- oversees structure.

Caste System- Hindu- can move up in next life
based on karma.
 Social Hierarchy
1) How did the structure of the Feudal system impact the
people it ruled?
• Mutual obligations– everyone had a role.
• Offered protection during a dangerous time period.
 
2) How was political power consolidated and maintained
under Feudalism?
• R.C.C. ruled supreme– papal supremacy & canon law.
• Lords controlled land.
Catholic Church (page 10)
 Preview
• Whose the strongest & toughest person in this
class??
 Preview
• Does being strong guarantee you’ll be a good
leader??
 Catholic Church
• People need leadership.
• During the Middle Ages Nobles & Knights
provided protection but little else.
• RCC (Catholic Church) will provide spiritual
support, political, economic, and social
guidance.
• RCC ran the show during this time period of
weak government.
 Video on the Catholic Church
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ld8dWkJCmLY
 CHURCH HIERARCHY (page 10)

• The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He

is believed to be the spiritual representative of Jesus on
earth.

• Below the Pope came the Archbishops, bishops, and

local Priests.

• For peasants and town dwellers, everyday life was

closely tied to local priests and the village church.
 Spiritual Role of the Church:

• The main responsibility of the Church was to serve the spiritual needs of
medieval society.

• Local priests instructed peasants & townspeople in the faith and

provided comfort to them in troubled times.

• The Church taught that all men and women were sinners but that
Christians could achieve salvation, or eternal life in heaven, through faith
in Jesus, good works, and participation in sacraments, or sacred spiritual
rituals.

• To escape the punishment of hell, believers needed to take part in the

sacraments of the Church.
 Economic Power

• The Church filled many secular, or worldly,

roles during the Middle Ages.
• As the largest landowner in Europe, the
Church had significant economic power.
• The Church also gained wealth through the
tithe, a tax.
• Christians were required to pay an amount
that equaled 10% of their income.
 Political Power

• The Church had its own set of laws called Canon Law, and its
own courts of justice.

• The Church claimed authority over secular rulers, but

monarchs did not always recognize this authority. As a result,
there were frequent power struggles between the Pope in
Rome and various kings.

• Popes believed that they had authority over the kings. Popes
sometimes excommunicated, or excluded from the Catholic
Church, secular rulers who challenged or threatened papal
power.
 Inquisition
• If charged as a heretic you would be tortured
(Strappado & Rack were commonly used) until
you confessed your crimes.

• If admitted you were a heretic they killed you

quickly. If you would not confess you were
burned at the stake.
Inquistion
Assassin’s Creed
 Tomas de Torquemada
• Led the Spanish Inquisition.
• Goal to unify Spain as a Roman Catholic
Country after the Reconquista in 1492.
• Condemned to death 2000 so called heretics.
• Expelled the Jews out of Spain.
Torquemada (is in Assassin’s Creed film)
 Monastic Orders

• Some men and women became monks or nuns,

leaving worldly society and devoting their lives to
God.

• They entered monasteries, communities where

Christian men and women focused on spiritual goals.

• Monks and nuns fulfilled many social needs, such as

tending to the sick, helping the poor, and educating
children.
Monasteries
 Gothic Cathedrals

• Large churches built to demonstrate power

and importance.
 Centers of Learning
• In monasteries and convents (religious
communities of women), monks and nuns
also preserved ancient writing by copying
ancient texts.

• Some monks and nuns taught Latin and Greek

classics; others produced their own literary
works.
 Missionary Work

• Not all monks and nuns remained in

monasteries. Some because missionaries,
risking their lives to spread the message of
Christianity. The Church sometimes honored
its missionaries by declaring them saints.
Crusades (page 13)
 Crusades
• In the 1050s, the Seljuk Turks invaded the Byzantine empire.
Over the next four decades, they overran most Byzantine lands
in Asia Minor as well as Palestine. In 1095, the Byzantine
emperor asked the pope, Urban II, for help. Pope Urban agreed.
At the Council of Clermont, Urban encouraged French and
German bishops to recover Palestine, or the Holy Land, as it was
called by Christians. Christians referred to this area as the Holy
Land because it was where Jesus had lived and taught
(Remember??). Muslims and Jews also considered the land
holy. Christians who answered the pope’s call were known as
“crusaders”. Men and women from all over Western Europe left
their homes to reclaim the Holy Land. Many never returned.
 REASONS FOR THE CRUSADES
• There were several motives for the Crusades,
some religious and some secular. These reasons
were…

• The Pope believed that the Crusades would

increase his power in Europe.

• Christians believed that their sins would be

forgiven if they participated in the Crusades.
 REASONS FOR THE CRUSADES

• Nobles hoped to gain wealth and land by

participating in the Crusades.

• Adventurers saw the Crusades as a chance for

travel and excitement.

• Serfs hoped to escape feudal oppression by

fighting in the Crusades.
Crusades
Saladin
Richard the Lion Hearted
 Crusades
1ST CRUSADE…Christians captured Jerusalem (1099); followed
by massacre of Muslims & Jews

2ND CRUSADE… Saladin unites the Muslim world & recaptured

Jerusalem; didn’t harm defeated crusaders.

3RD CRUSADE… Richard the Lion-Hearted (King of England)

won several victories but couldn’t capture Jerusalem.

4TH CRUSADE… Christian factions started fighting one another;

Muslim victory (1291); Muslims massacred Christian
inhabitants.
Crusades video (Crescent & the Cross)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=gvHMdU0HxjY
 Primary Source
• Looked down on them (accursed race is a
quote from the speech).

• Little contact with other cultures (isolated on

manors) & church propaganda.
 Crusades (page 17)
• The crusaders failed to attain their main goal of
retaking the Holy Land. Unfortunately, the
Crusades left behind a legacy of religious hatred
between Christians and Muslims, since each
group had committed terrible acts of violence
against the other. Crusaders sometimes turned
their hatred on Jews in Europe as they traveled
to or from Palestine. At times crusaders
destroyed entire Jewish communities.
 Crusades
• The crusades did, however, have some
positive effects. The European economy
began to grow, and Europeans gained an
expanded view of the world.
 The Crusades has been dubbed by
historians a “Successful Failure”.

What does that mean???

• Failed military operation, but successful in
opening Europe to trade & exposure to Greek
& Roman Achievements.
 Crusades
1) Increased Trade – demand for goods from the
east (sugar, cotton, rice); trade routes stayed
open after the crusades.
2) Encouraged Learning – learning was
stimulated as Europeans were introduced to new
cultures; saw great universities; saw great
advancements (of the Islamic Golden Age) in
math, science, literature, art, and geographical
knowledge.
 Crusades
3) Change in Church – temporarily increased the
power of the Pope; HOWEVER conflict with
kings decreased the power of the Pope;
widened the gap between Roman and Orthodox
churches.
• ***THE POPE’S POWER DECLINED!!!!
 Crusades
4) Change in Feudal System – increased the
power of Monarchs (kings); FEUDALISM
WEAKENED; economy based on $$$$, not land
emerged
Bubonic Plague (page 18)
 Bubonic Plague
1) What do the shades and dates on the map represent?
• Shades = areas of outbreak.
• Dates = when the disease started in a specific area.
 
 
2) From what direction did the plague travel to Europe? Where did
it originate?
• Plague traveled west into Europe.
• Originated east (from Asia).
 
 
 Bubonic Plague
3) During what years did plague spread through
Europe?
•  1347-1351.
 
 4) Which areas of Europe were less severely affected
by the plague? What were some reasons for the
lower death tolls in those areas?
• Eastern Europe.
• Less trade & few cities.
Bubonic Plague (page 19)
 Bubonic Plague
1) How did migration spread the Bubonic Plague from
Asia to Europe?
• Trade & war.

2) How did people react to the epidemic?

• Thought they were being punished by god.
• Murdered Jews.
• Questioned the church.
• Left the manors.
 Bubonic Plague
3) When was the disease intentionally used as a
weapon?
• Siege of Kaffa (1345) on Black Sea.
• Mongols shot bodies infected with plague
over the city walls.
 Bubonic Plague
4) How did Bubonic Plague change the system of
Feudalism?
• Ended it.
• Why?? Workforce dead.

5) How might history have been different if this

epidemic had not occurred?
• Feudalism may have continued.