Medieval Period
1066-1485
Battle of Hastings to the Battle of Bosworth Field
PowerPoint found at: schs.kana.k12.wv.us/meadowsc/MedievalPeriod.ppt
Characteristics of the Medieval Period
Medieval Period was based on feudalism
Feudalism was a hierarchy based on the least powerful swearing
allegiance and loyalty to the person in power above him. It began with the
serfs and ended with the king and the Pope
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The Norman Conquest of England created a powerful Anglo-Norman entity and brought England into the mainstream of European civilization
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The feudal system centralized military, political, and economic power in the Crown
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The Roman Church transcended national noundaries and fostered cultural unity among Europeans
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The rise of cities and towns freed people to pursue their own commercial and artistic interests
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The Magna Carta weakened the political power of the Church and laid the goundork for later English constitutional law.
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• Exposure to Eastern civilization as a result of the Crusades broadened Europeans’ intellectual horizons
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The ideals of chivalry improved attitudes toward but not the rights of women
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The rise of the yeoman class paved the way for democracy in England
Characteristics of the Middle Ages (cont)
• The bubonic plague created a labor shortage that contributed to the end of feudalism and to the passing of the Middle Ages
Important Events and People in the Middle Ages
William the Conquerer
William led the Normans against the Anglo Saxons at the Battle of
Hastings. He won and brought a new language and methods of organization to England
Battle of Hastings (August 25, 1066)
Called one of the most influential battles of all time, the Battle of
Hastings brought the Normans to England to replace
Domesday Book
Often called Doomsday Book– William the Conquerer had
everyone’s personal property catalogued so he could tax it
Crusades
For almost 200 years Western Europe under direction from the Popes
attempted to “recapture” the Holy Lands, especially Jerusalem
Catholic Church
• Most influential and powerful institutioni n Europe
• Dictated even the most insignificant details of individuals’ lives
• Participated in Inquisitions• Controlled intellectual thought until the
Renaissance• Place of power and education
What did the Crusades do?
• Depopulated parts of Europe• Introduced Europe to a more cultured, learned
civilization• Opened trading routes• Introduced Europeans to spices and perfumes• Eventually broke the power of the Catholic
church (helped to) by ushering in the Renaissance
Bubonic Plague strikes England 1348
Called the Black Death– estimates say that 10 to fifty percent of
Europeans died of the black death. So many people died that there was a
shortage of labor which eventually helped to bring about the middle
class.
Saladin
Famous Muslim leader who opposed the Christians during the Crusades
Thomas a Beckett
Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered by the knights of Henry II.
Canterbury Cathedral honors this English martyr. He also was the
martyr celebrated in the Canterbury Tales
Henry II
Son of Maude (Matilda) Henry II inherited the throne after Stephen. Although he is best known as the monarch who caused the death of Thomas a Beckett he ruled an extensive empire, restored order, triumphed over the
nobility and fought the Church. He also restored royal justice, the beginning of the modern trial by jury. In short, he brought
efficiency and a degree of fairness to government
Henry’s fight with the Church
Henry wanted to do away with the concept of “benefit of clergy” or immunity from the king’s justice. Any wrongdoer who could read
Latin could claim to be a cleric. Also Henry wanted to nominate his own
bishops
Guilds
First labor unions made up of skilled craftsmen. Guilds are the beginning
of the middle class.
Chivalry
Chivalry was a code of conduct based on the process of becoming a knight. Adherence to oaths of allegiance and rules governing fighting were basic to
its precepts
William Wallace
Legendary hero of Scotland (Braveheart) he fought against Edward I and the English take-
over of Scotland. The Scottish lairds were jealous of his popularity and power and betrayed him to Edward. Although he was executed, his spirit influenced the Scots to continue fighting
against England.
100 Years’ War (1377-1453)
War between France and England– England claimed the throne of France based on Edward III and Henry V. The British
yeoman now represented England and these small landowners became a dominant force
in a new society
Battle of Crecy (1346)
More than 1500 KNIGHTS and NOBLEMEN were killed because of
the English longbow
Joan of Arc
Most famous figure of the 100 Years’War, Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who led the French forces against the English– since the French king was too inept. She claimed that God talked to her, and she was militarily
successful for two years until she was captured in Burgundy and sold to the English. The English
considered her a “hot potato” so they gave her to an ecclesiastical court which accused her of witchcraft and eventually burned her at the stake. She became
canonized as a saint in the 20th century
Authors and Works of the Middle Ages
Song of Roland (written 1100)
Roland was a French hero who drove the Moors out of France and back to Northern Africa. The Song of Roland
is considered to be the French national epic
Everyman
A morality play to teach a lesson to its viewers. It’s about a character named Everyman who confronts
Death and has to find which of his friends will go with him.
Dante Aligheri (writes Devine Comedy 1307)
Author of the Devine Comedy which is comprised of The Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradisio.
Decameron
Written by Boccaccio, the Decameron 1350’s is a set of tales
principally about love and the corruption of the clergy. The
Decameron is said to have been an influence on Chaucer
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1375)
A tale about Arthur’s knights and the Round Table, Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knights challenge to exchange
blows. The story might really be about redemption and sin.
Canterbury Tales (written 1387)
Canterbury Tales was written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer
who is often called the father of English poetry. He is credited with making English respectable. Until
Chaucer most literature and documents of importance were done
in Latin
Ballads
Orginally dervied from a French word which meant dancing song,
ballads were composed with music in mind with their rhythm and meter. Ballads are poetry of the people and
their topics are ones of everyday life– lost love, death, betrayal, the supernatural and relationships
English Monarchs
• William the Conquerer
• William II (Rufus)
• Henry I
• Stephen and Maude
• Henry II
• Richard I
• John
• Henry III
• Edward I
• Edward II
• Edward III
• Richard II
• Henry IV
• Henry V
• Henry VI
• Edward IV
• Edward V
• Richard III
Norman Monarchs
W illiam II"R u fu s "
W illiam I le ft E n g lan d to h imp ow erfu l an d so n ob ility d is liked h im
R ob ertW illiam I le ft h im th e p rovin ces in F ran ce
w an ted E n g lan d toow as w eak so n ob ility in E n g lan d th ou g h t h e 'd b e b e tte r th an R u fu s
H en ry Ire ig n ed 5 6 years
son d ied in th e W reck o f th e W h ite S h iple ft th rob e to d au g h te r M atild a (M au d e)
W illiam IW illiam th e C on q u erer
w on B a tt le o f H as tin g s 1 0 6 6N orm an (F ren ch )
Wreck of the White Ship and Civil War
A n g evin
H en ry IIK in g o f E n g lan d
a fte r S tep h en d iesaccord in g to trea ty
M au d em arries G eo ffrey o f A n jou r
H en ry Id ies th in k in g M au d e w ill b e Q u een
S tep h enn ep h ew o f H en ryg rab b ed th ron e
cau sed C ivil W ar
H en ry's b ro th er
Henry I died without a son to succeed him. Before his death he had made all of his nobles swear allegiance to his daughter Maude. However, when he died his nephew Stephen grabbed the throne
England’s Civil War
Maude, aka Matilde, battled over the throne for almost 19 years. Stephen
claimed that a woman shouldn’t rule. The battle raged until Stephen’s only son died, leaving him with no heir. Through treaty Stephen agreed that
Matilda’s son (Henry II) would inherit the throne after Stephen’s
death
Offspring of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
R ich ard Ith e L ion h earted
on ly s p en t 1 0 m on th s in E n g lan dre ig n ed 1 0 years , w en t to C ru s ad es
K in g J oh n Ica lled "L ack lan d "w eak an d vic iou s
s ig n ed th e M ag n a C arta 1 2 1 5
H en ry IITyp e t it le h e re
E lean or o f A q u ita in e
From John to Edward III
E d w ard IIIexce llen t m on archre ig n ed 5 0 years
b eg an 1 0 0 Y ears ' W ar
E d w ard IIw eak an d g ay
g ave resou rces to g ay p artn e rsm u rd ered
E d w ard IL on g sh an ks
b eg an w ar w ith S co tlan d an d W illiam W allaceE s tab lish ed n a tion a l P arliam en t
H en ry IIITyp e t it le h e re
K in g Joh nTyp e t it le h e re
War of the Roses (or a war between cousins)
W ar o f th e R oses
R ich ard IIab d ica ted th ron e
s tarved to d ea th in1 3 9 9
E d w ardB lack P rin ce
d ied in p rim e o f lifejou s te r
H en ry V Iweak g overn m en t
h ered ita ry m ad n essp rob ab ly k illed b y R ich ard III
H en ry Vm F ren ch k in g 's d au g h ter
n am ed to su cceed C h arles V I
H en ry IVH en ry o f B o lin g b roke
g rab b ed th ron e from R ich ard IIL an cas te r
Joh n o f G au n treg en t fo r R ich ard II
con tro ls E n g lan d fo r 1 4 yearstu rn ed E n g lan d over to R ich ard
E d w ard V1 2 years o ld
"ru led 2 m on th s "d isap p eared from Tower
R ich ard1 0 years o ld
d isap p eared w ith b ro th erb o th m u rd ered b y R ich ard III
E lizab e thY ork
face on card sm arries H en ry Tu d or
E d w ard IVd ep osed H en ry V I
u n p op u la r m arriag e
R ich ard IIId ied a t B osw orth F ie ld
1 4 8 5en d ed P lan tag en t lin e
C la ren ceexecu ted in a va t o f w in e
a t h ead o f revo lt
R ich ard P lan tag en e t
R ich ard
E d m u n d o f L an g leyY ork
E d w ard IIITyp e tit le h ere
War of the Roses
Lancaster Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, seized the throne of England from his
cousin Richard II. Richard futilely attempted to save his life by “abdicating.” Accounts vary, but
apparently Richard starved to death in a dungeon. Henry then became Henry IV, but descendants from the Yorkist side of the family (who had a better claim to the title) objected– for the next
three generations
The Yorkists take over
The Lancasters kept the throne through the reigns of Henry IV and Henry V, but during the reign of Henry VI the Yorks realized that they had an opportunity to depose a weak king. Yorkist Edward IV,
along with help from his brother Richard, captured and killed Henry VI and took
over the throne of England
Edward IV diesMuch to the disgust of everyone
Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville, a member of a much
disliked family. When Edward died his children Edward V and Richard were taken by their uncle Richard
(soon to be Richard III) to the Tower of London– for safety sake
Elizabeth of York negotiates with Henry Tudor
The boys turned up missing, and Richard proclaimed himself king. Edward IV’s
daughter Elizabeth negotiated with Henry Tudor ( a descendant of John of Gaunt) to oppose her uncle, defeat him in battle, and subsequently marry her and become king.
Battle of Bosworth Field—the end of the Medieval Period
Henry Tudor and his allies challenge Richard III and his reluctant allies at Bosworth Field. Richard is killed at the Battle and the ruling house of Plantagenet changes to Tudor, the
Medieval Period ends, and the Renaissance is ushered in