The Middle Ages
(500 CE – 1400 CE…ish)
Without a central power to maintain order (Rome), the early Middle Ages were chaotic with
marauding violent armies constantly invading lands. People needed protection, and turned to local
kings. This search for protection led to the system of feudalism. Peasants were protected by feudal
lords, and tied to the land. The only unifying power was the church. The Church was the sole source of
all knowledge regarding spiritual, philosophical, and legal matters.
This social hierarchy (feudalism) became deeply engrained in society, with extremely rigid
social classes. It should be noted, however, that it was not entirely a "dark" age. Thomas Aquinas was
a great philosopher who attempted to reconcile Christian doctrine and Aristotelian
Logic. Additionally, major changes in government were occurring in both England and France. In the
former, the Magna Carta limited the monarch’s power, beginning a trend that would continue in
England for centuries. In France (then called Gaul), a powerful family began consolidating power,
starting with Clovis and culminating with Charlemagne. Charlemagne would be crowned "Holy
Roman Emperor" by the Pope, thus legitimizing his undisputed supremacy in mainland Europe. Still,
for the vast majority of Europeans, life remained unchanged, with social mobility all but unattainable.
This rigid social system began to crack in the later Middle Ages for three main reasons: (1) The
Great Schism, (2) The Black Death, and (3) The Hundred Years' War. First, the Church went through
what is known as The Great Schism, with two popes fighting for power. One pope lived in Avignon, in
modern day France, while the other lived in Rome. This struggle for power hurt the Church’s
credibility, but was ultimately ended with the Council of Constance, which legitimized the Roman
pope’s rule.
The Black Death, which is believed to have arrived in Europe via trade ships arriving in Italy
from Asia, further damaged the church's credibility. No amount of faith could save one from the
plague, and prayers were seen as unanswered. Furthermore, the Church was unable to provide any
remedies for the plague. The Black Death, which killed nearly one-third of Europe's population, also
weakened the rigid social structure of the Middle Ages. It struck down kings and peasants, knights and
clergy alike. The drastic reduction of population also left vacancies at all levels of society, forcing
posts to be filled by the lower classes. Social mobility began to increase.
The Hundred Years' War was primarily a military conflict between France and England
regarding the rightful heir to the French throne. During this long and drawn out war, Joan of Arc,
inspired by her perceived message from God, would famously disguise her gender and lead French
troops to a decisive victory. She would eventually be tried as a heretic and burned at the stake. More
importantly, the Hundred Years’ War saw great advancements in military technology, which began to
make knights and heavily armored horsemen obsolete, thus weakening the need for the feudal system.
Additionally, France and England sought to centralize military control, which in turn centralized
political power. The localized feudal system was unraveling.
The Crusades, launched by Pope Urban II to take back the holy lands from Islamic rulers,
would ultimately dig Europe out of this state of stagnation. Though the Crusades led to increased
religious tension (highlighted by the Reconquista) and atrocities such as the Spanish Inquisition, they
did serve to open Europe up to the rest of the world. Throughout the Middle Ages, Europe was greatly
isolated. The Crusades, however, resulted in a great deal of cultural diffusion and the opening of trade
routes. Eventually, the great works of the classical age would be brought back to Europe, having been
stored in the greatest center of learning during the Middle Ages, Baghdad. These records of classical
civilization, which were spread to the Middle East more than 1,000 years early by Alexander the
Great’s conquest, would dramatically change European thought. This opening up of Europe and the
return to classicism would lead to the “Rebirth” of Western Civilization, known as the Renaissance.
Assignment
Step 1: Watch the video by clicking on the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K43hd1vw9TI
Step 2: Define the following terms based on the reading, your textbook, and online research.

Feudalism

Peasants

The Church

Thomas Aquinas

Aristotelian Logic

Magna Carta

Clovis

Charlemagne

“Holy Roman Emperor”

Social Mobility

The Great Schism

Council of Constance

The Black Death

Hundred Years’ War

Joan of Arc

The Crusades

Pope Urban II

Reconquista

Spanish Inquisition

Cultural Diffusion
Step 3 – Fill in the blank.
1. _______________ was an important Christian theologian and philosopher who sought to
reconcile Christian dogma with ____________________.
2. The rigid social hierarchy in Europe during the Middle Ages was known as ____________.
3. Under the feudal system, ____________ were tied to the land. The ______________ was the only
true unifying power.
4. _____________________ is a measure of the ability of individuals and groups to move in social
standing.
5. During the Middle Ages, a family grew to political power in the modern day France.
_________________ was the founder of this dynasty. _______________ was eventually named
____________________________ by the Pope, thus legitimizing his power.
6. The _____________________ , in which two different popes claimed power, damaged the
Church’s reputation. It was ultimately settled by the __________________.
7. The ___________________ killed nearly 1/3rd of Europe’s population, and resulted in a
weakening of the Feudal system.
8. The _________________ resulted in large standing armies and a centralization of political
power.
9. Religious tensions increased during the Middle Ages. The ______________ was an attempt to
solidify the Church’s power by bringing heretics to trial. The ___________________ was a
military campaign to push Islamic rulers out of Europe.
10. ______________________ was a famous female military leader of French troops during the
Hundred Years’ War.
11. The spreading of ideas from one culture to another is known as ______________________.
12. _______________________ launched by __________________ were a series of military campaigns to
take the holy lands back from Islamic rulers.
13. The _____________________ limited the power of English monarchs.
14. The greatest center of learning during the Middle Ages was not found in Europe. The city
of _________________ housed the greatest libraries and universities in the world.
15. The great works of Classical Civilization (Greece and Rome) were spread to the Middle
East in the 4th century BCE by ___________________.
Step 4 – Answer the following questions in a concise, yet comprehensive, manner. Of course, be
sure to “put it in your own words”.
1. What were the causes of the Middle Ages?
2. Describe the social structure of the Middle Ages.
3. What evidence could be cited to refute the claim that the Middle Ages were completely
“dark”?
4. What European events led to the unraveling of the Feudal system? Be sure to focus on
significance.
5. How did the Crusades help to bring Europe out of the Middle Ages?