Colin Peter
Pre AP WH Per. 5
Made DBQ
3/1/10
DBQ
The Late Middle Ages
Background: In the Late Middle Ages society began to break down all throughout
Europe. Europe had faced many challenges throughout these hard times. Christianity was
one of the only things that brought all of Europe together, but when people began to
challenge the Church, Europe’s society was threatened. It was not only religion that
Europe was fighting over, but also political leaders were fighting to gain more power.
The two most devastating wars over power were The Hundred Years War and The War
of Roses. Along with fighting all over Europe the Black Plague was spreading rapidly all
over and it killed about 1/3 of the European population. During these times of conflict
and death European society began to break down all over,
Question: What were the main causes of the breakdown of society in the late Middle
Ages?
Document 1
Then the English archers stept forth one pace and let fly their arrows so wholly [together]
and so thick, that it seemed snow. When the Genoways felt the arrows piercing through
heads arms and breasts, many of them cast down their crossbows and did cut their strings
and returned discomfited. When the French king saw them fly away, he said: "Slay these
rascals, for they shall let and trouble us without reason." Then ye should have seen the
men at arms dash in among them and killed a great number of them: and ever still the
Englishmen shot whereas they saw thickest press; the sharp arrows ran into the men of
arms and into their horses, an many fell, horse and men, among the Genoways, and when
they were down, they could not relieve again, the press was so thick that on overthrew
another. And also among the Englishmen there were certain rascals that went afoot with
great knives, and they went in among the men of arms, and slew and murdered many as
they lay on the ground, both earls, barons, knights, and squires, whereof the king of
England was after displeased, for he had rather they had been taken prisoners.
By Jean Froissart Chronicle
Document 2
Tedious were it to recount, how citizen avoided citizen, how among neighbors was scarce
found any that shewed fellow-feeling for another, how kinsfolk held aloof, and never
met, or but rarely; enough that this sore affliction entered so deep into the minds of men a
women, that in the horror thereof brother was forsaken by brother nephew by uncle,
brother by sister, and oftentimes husband by wife: nay, what is more, and scarcely to be
believed, fathers and mothers were found to abandon their own children, untended,
unvisited, to their fate, as if they had been strangers. Wherefore the sick of both sexes,
whose number could not be estimated, were left without resource but in the charity of
friends (and few such there were)…
By Giovanni Boccacio The Decameron
Document 3
CANON 3
Text. We excommunicate and anathematize every heresy that raises against the holy,
orthodox and Catholic faith which we have above explained; condemning all heretics
under whatever names they may be known, for while they have different faces they are
nevertheless bound to each other by their tails, since in all of them vanity is a common
element. Those condemned, being handed over to the secular rulers of their bailiffs, let
them be abandoned, to be punished with due justice, clerics being first degraded from
their orders. As to the property of the condemned, if they are laymen, let it be
confiscated; if clerics, let it be applied to the churches from which they received
revenues. But those who are only suspected, due consideration being given to the nature
of the suspicion and the character of the person, unless they prove their innocence by a
proper defense, let them be anathematized and avoided by all 1-intil they have made
suitable satisfaction; but if they have been under excommunication for one year, then let
them be condemned as heretics
The Canons of the Fourth Lateran Council, 1215
Document 4
Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars in England in the 1400's. Two branches of
the royal Plantagenet family fought for the English throne. Each side had a rose as its
symbol. The House of York had long used a white rose as its emblem. The House of
Lancaster became identified with a red rose.
A number of factors helped lead to the wars—disputes between the two houses, the
defeat of English forces in France, the weakness and corruption of England's government,
and the existence of powerful, warlike nobles. The wars began in 1455 with the Battle of
St. Albans, near London.
Document 5
During the 1100's and 1200's, certain groups of Roman Catholics revolted against their
church. After some civil (nonreligious and nonmilitary) rulers refused or became unable
to punish these heretics, the church took over the role. In 1231, Pope Gregory IX created
a special court to investigate suspects and reform heretics. In 1542, the Congregation of
the Holy Office took control of the Inquisition. Inquisition judges usually were
Dominican and Franciscan friars.
The Inquisition operated chiefly in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Working in secret,
the inquisitors (investigators) often misused their power. Some suspects were tortured,
and heretics who refused to change their beliefs were sentenced to die by burning. In the
1500's, Catholic leaders turned the Inquisition against the Protestants.
Document 6
Document 7
Religious conflicts, political wars, and the Black Plague were the main causes of
the breakdown of society in the late Middle Ages in Europe. The Black Plague ripped
apart society through all of Europe. Along with the Plague, there were political wars over
power and religious beliefs that challenged the church.
One thing that had held Europe together over the years was Christianity, and
without it Europe wouldn’t be together. Heresy was a threat to Christianity all over
Europe. Throughout the Middle Ages heresy began to spread rapidly and was threatening
the social order of the church. This frightened church officials so they organized
Inquisitions that tried suspected heretics. “We excommunicate and anathematize every
heresy that raises against the holy, orthodox and Catholic faith” (Doc 3). Heresy had
changed the social order of people as many different people were being accused for
heresy, and killed and wars were happening.
Religion wasn’t the only thing that was being fought over during these times, but
many political leaders were fighting for more power for themselves. The two worst wars
were the Hundred Years War and the War of Roses. The Hundred Years War was a very
long and destructive war that had accomplished very little, it broke down society in both
England and France. “When the Genoways felt the arrows piercing through heads arms
and breasts, many of them cast down their crossbows and did cut their strings and
returned discomfited.” (Doc 1) The English and French spent a long time in the war
killing each other and making each society fearful of each other. The War of Roses also
was very violent and destructive and had made English society break down from all the
wars and rebellions all throughout England. Together these two wars brought much grief
and pain to both England and France’s societies.
While the Hundred Years War was happening another horrible crisis struck
Europe, the Black Death. The Black Death was a disease that spread rapidly all over
Europe during these times and it killed almost 1/3 of the European population. It had
destroyed the European society. People avoided each other; even family members
avoided each other. “Tedious were it to recount, how citizen avoided citizen, how among
neighbors was scarce found any that shewed fellow-feeling for another, how kinsfolk
held aloof, and never met” (Doc 2). This ripped apart European society as virtually there
was no business or working happening, and people were struggling for their lives. People
also started to blame God for the plague or blamed other people like Jews for it. This
made people insecure and mobs massacred Jews. People also beat themselves because
they thought God was punishing them for their sins. The Plague had killed many people
and made society not even a society.
All this war, violence, and killing from religion, political leaders, and the Black
Plague had ripped apart European society. These challenges during the late Middle Ages
had brought much pain and suffering in society. That pain and suffering had broke down
European society very much.
Bibliography
"| LiveScience." LiveScience | Science, Technology, Health & Environmental News. Web. 28
Feb. 2010.
<http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=history&
c=nsf&l=on&pic=080428-black-death02.jpg&cap=A+depiction+of+the+black+death+from+a+15th+century+Bible.&title=>.
"HIST2506 - Cory Foisy." Nipissing University. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/coryf/HIST2506/resources.htm>.
"Medieval Sourcebook: Boccaccio: The Decameron - Introduction." FORDHAM.EDU. Web.
28 Feb. 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/boccacio2.html>.
"Medieval Sourcebook: Jean Froissart: On The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)."
FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/froissart1.html>.
"Medieval Sourcebook: Twelfth Ecumenical Council: Lateran IV 1215." FORDHAM.EDU.
Web. 28 Feb. 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/lateran4.html>.
World Book. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
<http://worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar277240&st=middle+ages+heresy>.
World Book. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
<http://worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar592420&st=war+of+roses>.