Middle Ages/Feudalism Review

Feudalism

• Definition of Feudalism: “A social system that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return”

FeudalismDiscovery Ed- Feudalism

• Small kingdoms, called fiefs, developed throughout Europe

• Fiefs divided people into certain groups

Kings

• It was believed that God chose kings to rule the land

• Because there was too much land for the king to govern by himself, he granted land to his allies to control

• In return for the land, the landowners (Dukes and Earls) would send knights to serve in the king’s army

Nobles/Lords

• Nobles spent most of their time trying to conquer new lands or protecting their own land

• Clergy (people working in the church) had a lot of wealth and power

• Nobles and lords were expected to help protect the land for the king if it was threatened

• They were also in charge of protecting serfs and peasants

Knights

• A knight was a professional warrior• Knights were vassals. This means they

received land in return for protecting their noble or king’s land

• They trained from a very early age • Knights are expected to follow the code of

chivalry. This means they were supposed to be brave, fair, and treat others with respect

Serfs/Peasants

• Provided labor in exchange for land to live on and protection

• They were poor and lived in small huts in poor conditions

• Serfs could never earn enough money and were in a constant cycle of poverty

• Serfs had little rights and were not allowed to leave the land

• Middle Ages- Comes from the term Medieval, which is Latin for middle and age

• Describes a time period in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire and before the Renaissance (500 CE - 1500 CE)

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

• After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, small groups and tribes battled for control of Europe

Dark Ages• The Middle Ages are also known as the Dark Ages

• This is a period of time of intellectual and economic regression that occurred after the fall of the Western Roman Empire– People did not make many scientific discoveries, there

was little education, and there wasn’t much money for average people

The Bubonic Plague

• Brought to Europe in the 1200s by Mongol invaders

• A very deadly disease, it killed two-thirds of the people who got it within 4 days

• It spread by fleas on rodents (rats) and by personal contact (touching, sneezing, coughing)

Spread through Europe

• By the 1300s, the disease was traveling from the port cities of Europe along trade routes throughout the continent

• The disease slowly spread to Spain, France, England, Scandinavia, and Russia

Deaths

• In all, it is estimated that the Plague killed one-third of Europe’s total population

• Half of the people in the city of London died– Reports indicate over 1,000 people a day died in

1350

Poor Hygiene

• People in Europe at the time lacked proper sanitation and hygiene– Threw their garbage and waste into the streets

• This led to a lot of rats, which continued to spread the disease

Depopulation

• The Bubonic Plague wiped out much of Europe’s population and workforce– Less farmers were able to harvest crops– Trade decreased throughout Europe because there weren’t

as many merchants– Less craftspeople to make the everyday goods people

needed• Because there were so few workers, the workers that

did remain received higher wages– Because of the higher wages, many people in Europe

started to leave their farms for the cities

What are the Crusades?• A series of military campaigns by Christians from

Europe vs. Muslims from the Middle East

• Battling over control over the Holy Land and the sacred city of Jerusalem– The Muslims were in control

• Started in 1095, when Pope Urban II urged that Christians from Europe should unite and capture the Holy Land from the Muslims– Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics unite

Basic Facts and Outcome

• Lasted from 1095 C.E. – 1291 C.E. (about 200 years)

• There were four major Crusades and many more smaller military conflicts

• Although the Christians controlled the Holy Land for a brief time, they ultimately failed in their goal to permanently control these lands

• 1st Crusade (1096-1099): French troops captured Jerusalem in 1099. Most troops went home after the capture

• 2nd Crusade (1147-1149): Kings of France and Germany decide they need to send more troops so Jerusalem does not get recaptured by the Muslims

• 3rd Crusade (1189-1192): Saladin captures the city of Jerusalem in 1187. In response, Richard the Lionheart leads an expedition to retake Jerusalem. He wins major battles, but does not win back Jerusalem

• 4th Crusade (1202-1204): Led by the Byzantine Empire to recapture Jerusalem, it failed

After the Crusades

• These wars caused bitter feeling between Muslims and Christians for many centuries– Some of this can still be seen today

• The military campaigns greatly expanded trade throughout the region– Mostly cities along the Mediterranean coast

The Rise of Kingdomsin Europe

Economy Begins to Expand

• During the Late Middle Ages (1000 CE – 1300 CE), the economy of Europe gets stronger– Farms begin to produce more crops– Population increases

• Merchants begin to trade extra goods with one another– Some merchants begin to travel far

distances to trade goods

Economy Continues to Expand

• Trade routes are developed along major rivers

• Towns begin to grow and roads connect towns

Economy Continues to Expand

• Peasants and serfs are able to start saving money and leave their manor

– Many peasants and serfs become craftspeople and merchants

– Some start their own farms near towns where food is needed

Feudalism Weakens

• Because many serfs and peasants are beginning to leave their manors, the feudalism system becomes weaker

Kings become more Powerful

• Kings became more powerful. People agreed to pay taxes in return for protection and government– Kings are able to afford the powerful

armies and the best weapons

• Lords and knights begin to lose their power

Nation-States Emerge

• 4 major kingdoms developed into nation-states:– England– France– Spain– Russia

The Magna CartaMagna Carta- Brainpop

• The Magna Carta came about when King John angered many nobles with a set of laws they believed were unfair– He agreed to lower taxes, but did not– Many believed King John was abusing his

power as king

• In 1215, the nobles, barons, and church officials rebelled against King John and forced him to sign an agreement. – This agreement listed the rights of nobles

and limited the power of kings

The Hundred Years War

• Lasted from 1337-1453

• A series of short wars between England and France over control of land

• The English won major battles because they had better weapons, mainly the longbow

The Hundred Years War

• Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who said she had visions from God to drive the English out of France

• Led by Joan of Arc, the French rallied and pushed the English back. However, she was captured and killed

• After her death, the French started using cannons and were able to drive the English all the way out of France