http://www.scs.carleton.ca/~avardy/pics/Montreal,Quebec,Canada/Notre_Dame_Cathedral.JPG

• Middle Ages
– Medieval Period
• viewed as backward
• Major developments
– Spread of Christianity (missionary work)
– Contacts with other civilizations

• Western Europe faced many problems
– Viking invasions
– Weak rulers
• Local, decentralized rulers
– Illiteracy
– Low ag. productivity

• Economic Activity:
– Subsistence farming common
– Manorialism
– Low agricultural productivity
• Inefficient ag. tools

– 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

http://www.tomarken.com/content/crit/articles/2002/great/charlem.gif

• 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

• Catholicism
– Pope
– Local Bishops
– Missionary work
– Monasteries and convents set up
• Monks and Nuns served as religious examples to other
Europeans
• Promoted education
• Latin- language of educated people and church officials in Europe
– Most people unable to read, write, or understand
Latin

• In 10 th Century, Europe did experience small developmental changes
– New agricultural techniques and technology made farming more productive
• Moldboard plow
• Wealth through sale of ag. commodities
– Population growth

– Urbanization increased
– 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 longdistance trade

• 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

• Armored warriors of the middle ages
• Use of horses in warfare
– Adopted stirrup from Central Asian nomads, fed horses grain to make them stronger for battle
• Important part of medieval warfare
• 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

• Overtime, kings used feudalism to buildup their own power
• Examples of Governmental Development:
– 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

• Europe’s political developed 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
• Disputes over territory and resources
• France and England rivals
– The Hundred Years War

• 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.

• 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

• 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 12 th 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

• Religion played huge role in culture of the Middle Ages
• Conflict between faith and reason
– Theology: study of religion
– Growth in higher education in later years of post-classical period led to increase in study of secular subjects
• 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

• 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)

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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
– 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