http://www.scs.carleton.ca/~avardy/pics/Montreal,Quebec,Canada/Notre_Dame_Cathedral.JPG
Middle Ages
Post-Classical Europe
• Known as Middle Ages
– Medieval Period
• Europe viewed as backward by other
peoples of the world
– Less technology and agricultural development
Early Post-Classical Period
• Many problems in the early years of the
post-classical period
– Viking invasions
– Weak rulers due to decentralized govt
– Illiteracy
– Low agricultural productivity
Early Post-Classical Period
• Economic Activity:
– Subsistence farming common
• Many people lived as serfs on large manors owned
by a wealthier landlord
• Serfs had difficult lives, but were not slaves
– Low agricultural productivity
• Inefficient tools and farming methods made
agriculture difficult
Early Post-Classical Period
• Government:
– Localized government
– Manorialism was most common political and
economic arrangement
• Peasants and serfs worked on agricultural estates
owned by landlords
– Exchanged part of their crop and labor for protection
– Very few large kingdoms developed
• Exception was Charlemagne’s short-lived empire
Charlemagne
King of the
Franks
http://www.tomarken.com/content/crit/articles/2002/great/charlem.gif
Early Post-Classical Period
• Charlemagne (Charles the Great)
– 8th century: Established empire in N. France, Belgium,
and W. Germany
• Achievements under Charlemagne
– Promoted learning
• Monks copied works from the past
• Empire fell apart shortly after Charlemagne’s
death (814)
– Split into 3 kingdoms, which developed separately
from each other
Early Post-Classical Period
• Fall of Charlemagne’s Empire set stage for
further development in Western Europe
– Fragmented into regional kingdoms, which
would later become nations
– Regional languages emerged to further divide
the people
• Most based on Latin (known as Romantic
Languages), others based on Germanic languages
Religion
• Christianity was sole unifying force in Western Europe
– Catholicism
– Pope (in Rome) center of religious authority
– Local Bishops
– Missionary work
– Monasteries and convents
• Monks and Nuns served as religious examples to
other Europeans
• Promoted education
• Latin became the language of educated people and
church officials in Europe
– Most people unable to read, write, or understand
Latin
Slow Changes after 900 C.E.
• In 10th Century, Europe did experience
small developmental changes
– New agricultural techniques and technology
made farming more productive
• Moldboard plow
• Landowners began to accumulate more wealth
through sale of ag. commodities
– Population growth
• Able to feed more people
Slow Changes after 900 C.E.
– Urbanization increased
• Cities became cultural centers
– Still small in comparison to Middle East
– Growth in education
• Churches educated those who were destined for the Church
• Literacy grew in cities
– Viking conversions to Christianity led to fewer raids
and invasions
– Europe began to engage in more long-distance trade
• New crops and technologies
Governmental Changes
• Feudalism emerged as the dominant political
system
– Began as localized agreements, grew into feudal
kingdoms
– System where lords (military elites) exchange service
and loyalty for land (manors)
• Vassals: lesser lords who swear loyalty to a more powerful
lord (king)
– Loyalty in exchange for land (fief)
• Manors were worked by serfs and/or freed peasants
– Exchanged labor and commodities for protection
http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/Feudalismchart.jpg
Knights
• Armored warriors of the middle ages
• Use of horses in warfare
– Adopted stirrup from Central Asian nomads
• Armor
– Started out as open-faced helmet & long,
metal studded shirts (hauberk)
– Evolved into helmet with small visor and metal
armor
http://www.spyhunter007.co
m/Images/castle_knights_a
rmor.jpg
http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/military/my_hauberk.jpg
Governmental Developments
• Overtime, kings used feudalism to buildup
their own power
• Examples of Governmental Development:
– Capetian Family in France:
• Powerbase near Paris, spread influence outward
to create a feudal kingdom
– England:
• William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy)
invaded England and abruptly established a feudal
kingdom
http://z.about.com/d/historymedr
en/1/0/N/conqueror.gif
• William the
Conqueror
Governmental Developments
• Europe’s political development was
hindered by several factors
– Church limited power of many kings
• Became involved in politics
– Pope directly controlled central Italy
• Indirectly many other areas of Europe
– Feudal Kingdoms fought each other
• France and England rivals
– The Hundred Years War
Governmental Developments
• In early part of Middle Ages, Monarchs
were also restricted by the ideas of:
– Limited Government
• Magna Carta (1215)
– Representative Government
• 1265: Introduction on Parliaments: elected
legislatures that are representatives of the people
– England developed the strongest Parliamentarian system
• People feared giving the monarch too
much power.
Expansion of European Influence
• Population growth and economic development
led to an increase in European expansion
– Expand into eastern Europe
– Reconquista in Spain
• Efforts to remove Muslim influence in Spain
– Completed in 1492
– Portugal emerged as a maritime power in Mediterranean and
began to increase exploration along coast of Africa
– Spain created after marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand
» Alliance between Castille and Aragon
– Viking exploration in Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson
Bay area of Canada
http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/lmc/images/VikingMap.jpg
Crusades
• Series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims
– Fight for control of Holy Land and access to riches and trade in
Middle East
• First Crusade in 1095 (request of Pope Urban II)
– Promised salvation for Crusaders
– Gained control of Jerusalem, later lost the city when Muslims
rallied under the leadership of Saladin in 12th century
• Impact of the Crusades
– showed the west’s aggression toward the rest of the world
– Exposed Europe to new ideas and technology
http://www.islamproject.org/images/Crusades_Map_12-18.jpg
Culture of the Middle Ages
• Religion dominated culture
• Conflict between faith and reason
– Theology: study of religion
– Growth in higher education in later years
• BUT Minimal scientific discovery
• Art was used to glorify God
– Iconic images, stained glass windows with religious scenes
– Gothic Architecture- buildings appeared to be reaching to the
heavens
• Much of writing done in Latin with religious topics BUT
– Some began to write in the vernacular (language spoken by
common people) about secular topics
• Poems about love, chivalry, and court life were common
Economy
• 90% of population was rural
– Most people peasants or serfs
– Made living through farming
• Population growth saw increase of cities
– Became cultural and commercial centers
– Increase in skilled labor
• Skilled labor usually restricted to members of Guilds
– Trade picked up (particularly in Italy and areas near coast)
• Merchants became huge source of wealth, made loans to
rulers
• Conflict with Church because Church frowned upon charging
interest on loans and feared money would corrupt people
– Jews became major money lenders b/c their religion did
not forbid charging interest (usury)
Economy
• Europe also saw development in certain
industries
– Mining increased and Europe was able to
access metals for armor and weapon making
– European’s harnessed the power of water
from its many rivers and streams
• Water Wheels used in mills to help grind grain and
perform other tasks
Urbanization
• As populations and cities grew, the
economy began to develop more rapidly
• Problems of Urbanization and Economic
Development
– Environmental degradation
• Deforestation, pollution of streams, lack of
sanitation
– Disease
Black Death
• Bubonic Plague
– Caused by bacteria, transmitted by fleas and rats
• Now treated with antibiotics
– Communicable disease
• Boils, blacks spots on skin, foul body odor
• Impact
– Killed 1/3 of European population
– Skilled labor more expensive due to labor shortages
– Peasant revolts, led to swift decline in serfdom as
peasants and serfs ran away from their manors
– Unrest in cities
Government Structure in Late
Middle Ages
• Toward the end of the Middle Ages, hereditary
monarchies began to increase in power
– Feudalism weakened and aristocrats lost much of
their power
• New military technology reduced the need for knights
– Gunpowder and artillery (cannons), longbow and
crossbow became major part of military
• Kings began to hire military personnel rather than depend on
the vassals
– Paid for with loans from bankers/businessmen and with
new taxes that were collected on merchants and land
Conclusion
• Middle Ages were a time of contradictions in Western
Europe.
– Advances in some areas while still underdeveloped in
others
– Technological innovation in mining, milling, and
waterpower BUT still inadequate food production
– Military advances BUT at cost of more frequent wars
and aggression
– Trade increased and helped improve the European
economy BUT gap between rich and poor still wide
– Population growth offset by disease
Conclusion
– Christianity thrived BUT at expense of conflict
with other religious groups
– Religion was center of education which left
Europe trailing behind the world in scientific
discovery and other secular studies
– Urbanization increased BUT most people still
lived as serfs and peasants on the country
side
– Skilled labor increased BUT it was restricted
to those in the guilds