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• Middle Ages


  Era spanning approximately 1,000 years from 500 AD to 1500 AD, characterized by a newly emerged society influenced primarily by classical greco-roman culture, the catholic church, and various germanic tribes
• Effects of the Middle Ages

  • Loss of trade and spread of ideas
  • Loss of cities and centers of culture
  • The value of education diminished over time as lifestyle became more centered on agriculture and land
  • Common languages such as Greek or Latin mixed with local languages and became distinct dialects later entirely separate languages such as French or Spanish
  • Concepts of governments such as equality and a unified people changed as loyalty became a personal concept
  • Unwritten rules + traditions
• Charlemagne


  King of the Franks, member of the Carolingian Dynasty, became the most powerful king by 800 AD, first Holy Roman Emperor, encouraged learning and scholars starting a tradition of monks and monasteries preserving knowledge
• Charlemagne's death in 814 AD

  His son Louis the Pious was crowned, a terrible ruler, his three sons Lothair, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German fought for control of the empire, resulting in the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD which divided the empire into three, leading to loss of central authority, loss of power, and foundations for Feudalism
• Effects of the Germanic Barbarian invasions on the Roman Empire


  • Disruption of Trade
  • Downfall of Cities
  • Population Shifts
  • Decline of learning
  • Loss of a Common Language
  • Change in the concept of government
• Vikings


  Germanic people from Scandinavia (northern Europe Denmark/Sweden/Norway), also called Northmen/Norsemen, traders, farmers, and explorers, pagan and worshiped pagan gods, carried out raids with their infamous longboats
• Viking ships


  • The largest ship carried 300 warriors
  • The ship had 72 oars
  • It ended with the carving of a sea monster
  • Weigh around 20 tons when fully loaded
  • Sail in just three feet of water
  • Sailed up shallow creeks
• Feudal system


  Based on rights and obligations, nobles were granted use of land that technically belonged to the king, and in return, they gave their loyalty and military services to the king with a social pyramid
• Feudal system roles


  • King/landowner/lord
  • Vassals
  • Fiefs
  • Knights
  • Serfs
  • Manor
• Stirrups and saddles


  Introduced to Europe in the 700s, allowed knights to carry heavier weapons, ride faster, and knock over enemy soldiers without toppling over
• Code of chivalry


  • Developed in the 1100s, a complex set of ideals for knighthood including values of loyalty, braveness, courage, and courteousness, loyalty to three masters (heavenly Lord, feudal Lord, chosen Lady), protection of the vulnerable
• Noblewomen


  • Could inherit an estate from her husband
  • If her lord requested could send knights to war
  • If her husband was away she could become a military commander or warrior
  • Could throw rocks or shoot arrows
  • Often confined to activities within the home or convent
  • Held little property
  • Days are often spent praying, discussing business, eating, and getting ready
  • Educated by tutors
• Peasant Women


  • Not much change in life over time
  • Performed labor at home, the fields
  • Bore children and took care of the family
  • Learned practical household skills
  • Often poor and powerless
• Lay investiture


  The practice of ceremonies where kings and nobles could appoint church officials, in 1075 Pope Gregory the Seventh banned it as it was being used as a power tactic
• Concordat of Worms


  Took place in 1122 AD, resolved matters over lay investiture, stated that only the church could appoint bishops but the emperor could veto the decision
• Problems in the Age of Faith

  • Priests being essentially illiterate could barely read their prayers
  • Popes of questionable morals and character
  • Bishops and abbots cared more about being a feudal lords than their spiritual roles
  • Village priests marrying and having families (this was against church rulings)
  • Simony (the selling of church positions)
  • Lay investiture
• Gothic architecture


  • Intricate with spires that reached for the heavens and tall pointed arches
  • Ribbed vaults that supported the roof weight
  • Flying buttresses transferred weight to the structure's thick walls
  • Stained glass windows
• The Crusades


  1. Alexius Comnenus appeals to Robert Count of Flanders for aid, Pope Urban the Second calls for a crusade

  2. Defend and Preserve the Byzantine Empire

  3. Restore Christendom (split in 1054 east and west schism)

  4. Regain the Holy lands

  5. Limit Islamic influence

  6. Get rid of Troublesome Knights who posed a threat to church and state property

  7. Younger Sons who would not inherit anything for themselves seeking glory and riches for themselves

  8. For Salvation
• Effects of the Crusades


  • Women's introduction to previously thought "men's affairs"
  • European merchants went to crusader states expanding trade
  • Failure less the power of the pope and feudal nobility
  • Fall of the Byzantine Empire
  • Beginning of Islamic intolerance of Christians
  • Growth of cities universities trade and towns
• Three-field system


  Agricultural method that increased food production, allowed for a better-fed population, decreased child mortality, increased the population, and allowed for specialization
• Guilds


  Organizations of people in a similar position of work or business that banded together to improve socio-economic conditions, helped set standards, improve working conditions and wages, created supervised training for new workers, accumulated wealth and established influence over the wealthy government and the economy of towns and cities
• Craft Guild roles


  • Apprentice
  • Journeyman
  • Master
• Commercial Revolution


  • Expansion of trade and business, increased availability of goods, new ways of doing business, merchants' power and wealth expand, more cash banking and lending services, more money for building businesses, towns became cities and urban life begins, increased learning Start of Universities
• Anglo-Saxons


  Angles and Saxons who invaded Britain, Alfred the Great called it England or the land of the Angles
• Normans


  Vikings who had conquered the region of Normandy north of France, became French in culture, language and customs
• Battle of Hastings


  Fought between William the Duke of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, William won and declared England his personal property, replaced Anglo-Saxon lords with 200 Norman ones, unified control of lands and laid a foundation for a centralized government in England
• Henry the Second


  English King who married Elenor of Aquitaine and joined a large portion of France to England and Normandy, established royal courts of justice sending judges out to every province in England at least once a year, established common law forming the basic principles for law in many English speaking countries today
• Magna Carta


  Signed by King John in 1215, guaranteed feudal, political rights, stated that all must obey the law even the king, no taxation without representation, jury trial, protection under the law, limits to the king's power, extended to all English citizens and set what is now considered basic political rights in England and the U.S.A.
• Estates-General in France


  • The First Estate: church leaders
  • The Second Estate: lords
  • Third Estate: commoners, wealthy landowners
• Judges collecting taxes, punishing crimes, and establishing common law


  1. Judges would collect taxes, punish crimes, and collect taxes

  2. Judges would go out to every province in England at least once a year

  3. This established common law forming the basic principles for law in many English speaking countries today
• The Magna Carta was signed by King John


  June 15, 1215
• Reasons for the Magna Carta

  • Alienating the church
  • Raising taxes to pay for fruitless wars
  • Losing Normandy and land in northern France
  • Threatening to take away town charters
• King John


  Nicknamed the soft sword for being such a poor military leader in contrast with his brother Richard the lionheart who reigned from 1199 to 1216
• What the Magna Carta guaranteed


  • Feudal, political rights
  • All must obey the law even the king
  • No taxation without representation
  • Jury trial
  • Protection under the law
  • Limits to the king's power
• The Magna Carta eventually extended to all English citizens and set what is now considered basic political rights in England and the U.S.A.
• The Estates-General in France

  • The First Estate: church leaders
  • The Second Estate: lords
  • The Third Estate: commoners, wealthy landowners, merchants
• The Estates-General was a meeting that helped increase power against the nobility
• Pope Boniface the Eighth sent a letter to King Philip the Fourth of France saying that kings must obey Popes because King Philip the Fourth was exerting monarchical authority on French bishops


  1300 AD
• King Philip the Fourth of France takes Pope Boniface captive in September


  1303 AD
• Pope Boniface the Eighth is rescued however dies a month later