Frankish Kingdom expands- 700-800’s
 Charlemagne as king controls much of western Europe defends/ spreads Catholicism
 encourages learning
 sons are weak rulers and kingdom splits
8001000
Violent Invasions from the Vikings in the North,
Maygars and Arabs in the east. Constant danger
and fear leads to the creation of the feudal system
The Feudal system- social and economic system
Social pyramid- (pics of each)
King
Noble
Bishop
(wealthy, land owning) (wealthy, land owning)
Knight
Knight
Knight
Knight
(fights for noble in exchange for fiefs, land)
Peasant Peasant Peasant
Peasant
Peasant
(poor, tied to the land they work, pay large amount to
knight and nobles)





Manor- Lord’s (noble) estate
Born into place in society
Peasants do all the work on the manor
Peasant- works the land called a fief
pay high taxes to the nobles/lords and church.
 Receive land to farm, protection, housing
 Serfs could not leave the land they worked
 Self- sustaining- food, clothing, tools, building
material, fuel found or made on manor
Knights, Chivalry and Battle (Pg 328)
Middle Ages Europe is a battleground of Nobles fighting
for land, each had private army of knights.
Knights rewarded with land and peasants to
work it.
700’s1100’s
By
1100’s
Knights on horseback become common/
important part of army.
Code of Chivalry- fight bravely for
Noble, God and Lady
Tournaments- mock battles and war skills.
Europe is covered with Castles- homes of
Lord, Lady and fortress
Battle- used Trebuchets, catapults, battering
rams, siege towers,
VS.
Arrows, boiling water, tar, lead, oil.
Literature and music idolize (make seem
really nice, don’t talk about the bad stuff)
Knighthood, Chivalry and Love
Feudalism spurred the rise of powerful leaders in Europe
that would create large and lasting nations.
The ChurchClergy- religious officials
 stablizing, gives sense of security, and community in
which to belong.
 Religious and social gatherings
 Religious holidays large celebrations and feasts
 Everyone subject to cannon law, law of the church,
courts to try those who broke laws.
 If you don’t you are excommunicated- kicked out of
both religious and social community, denied salvation.
8001100
Holy Roman empire- gains strength after
Charlemagne,
controls Europe, continued fight for power
between king and church
1000+
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


11001300
Reform in the churchEnding of marriage of priests
Pope’s advisors create the cannon (church
law) and act as court
Pope’s power increases through Europe
Renewed importance in holiness and
devotion to religion
New styles of Cathedrals- Gothic
Crusades (pg 344)- Recover Jerusalem from
Muslims, protect Constantinople. Combination
of nobles, knights and peasants from several
European nations
10971198
1st four crusades- only first two successful in
capturing Jerusalem and surrounding area. Later
into North Africa, however little land was gained
crusades
(note 346 and 347)
10001300
Cities, trade, learning, population expands
- use of horse instead of oxen, plow faster
- three field system, more land planted (more
food)
- market days in town
- craft guilds started, bakers, tailors, glassmakers
- Jews- moneylending
- Serfs leave owners for towns
- University develops- scholars meet and
discuss, look at others-Greece, Rome, Muslim
1300’s
Bubonic Plague- Black Death (358)
- killed 1/3 of the population (25 million)
- started in Asia moved along trade routes
- 75% death rate
- Jews blamed
- Prices, wages rose, trade fell
Crusades bring back good and ideas from the middle east
which creates more demand for eastern goods, and new
ways of thinking, challenging old ideas. Bubonic plaque
creates new appreciation for life, questioning of church.
1300- 1600 Renaissance= rebirth- starts in Italy (1300)
and moves north and west, along trade routes (1450)
 Growth in cities, trade
 Humanism- Focus on Individual achievement,
worth of a person
 Antiquity- return to learning and study of
classical subjects, classical art/ architecture,
ancient manuscripts rediscovered from falling
Byzantine empire
 Art flourishes- supported by pope, church,
wealthy nobility, new techniques, Leonardo Da
Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael (420),
 New World View- enjoyment of worldly
pleasure- nice clothes, good food, entertainment,
Secular- movement away from church but still
religious
 Increase in learning, studying, literature
o Renaissance man- skilled many areas,
educated, artist, good social skills, sing/
dance, athletic, write poetry
1440 Gutenburg invents the printing press, in 60 years
books become widely available
Renaissance ideas continue to influence European
thought, belief in the dignity of the individual played a
key role in the gradual rise of democratic ideas. (417)
How did the Renaissance influence/ help to create the
reformation? Pg 428
Reformation- splitting of the Christian faith
1500’s
Problems in the church popes/ clergy spent lots of money and lived
extravagantly/ richly while the poor starved
 clergy- often committing sins- gambling, drinking,
affairs with women
 call for reform from within
 widely available Bible for people to read for
themselves
1517 a monk named Martin Luther- enraged over some of
the churches actions wrote a paper criticizing the
church and hung it on the door so that someone
could debate him
 Luther’s statements gain popularity
 Main pointso Salvation through faith alone
o Church teachings based on Bible
o All people were equal and able to read and
understand the Bible for themselves
Protestantism is born- many new groups are born
Legacies Challenge of authority (pope)
 Individual reading and thinking for themselves
 Exposure to new ideas
Luther is excommunicated- but not as serious of a threat
that it used to be
Why is the Reformation significant?
This is the start of the revolutions against the church. We
are smashing tradition that has held strong for almost 1000
years. The church is beginning to lose political power.