Transcript Medieval Europe The Middle Ages

Medieval Europe
“The Middle Ages”
Why was this period
referred to as
“The Middle Ages”?
It was the period between
two very important
times…the Fall of the Roman
Empire and the Renaissance.
In the middle – The Middle
Ages
Many people thought that nothing important
happened during this period. They were wrong!
WHY WAS NORTHERN
EUROPE OPEN TO
INVASION?
Northern Europe
Many people settled in towns along the rivers. In
the open fields around the cities, a variety of
crops were grown on the fertile soils. The flat
land made farming and transportation easier, but
it also had a major drawback. What happened
because there were no mountains?
INVASIONS!
There were no mountains in Northern Europe for protection
against invaders. The most frightening invaders of all were
the Vikings from Scandinavia. The Vikings could sail their
ships up rivers, so the raids weren’t limited to the coastal
areas. The attacks were swift and savage, and Europeans
lived in terror of Viking raids.
Europe After The Fall of Rome
• Europe was a dangerous place after
Rome fell..
CHAOS!
Without the Roman government,
Europe had no central authority
to keep order.
Violence was common. People
looked for ways to bring order to
their lives.
The rulers of these states,
usually warlords, called
themselves kings. These kings
often fought among themselves.
The creation of these kingdoms
marked the beginning of the
Middle Ages.
7.6.3 Student Learning Objective
• The students will summarize how
feudalism provided a social, political,
and economic structure for Medieval
Europe on a graphic organizer.
Focus Question:
• What was feudalism and why was it
important?
Please turn to page 242 in your
textbook.
Where have we seen this guy
before?
Why did Feudalism begin?
What word within a word
do you hear in feudalism?
FEUD!!!
For protection against
invasions.
• Frankish kings were unable to
defend their empire.
• Nobles had to defend their own lands
because they couldn’t depend on
protection from the kings.
• To defend their lands, nobles hired
knights, warriors who fought on
horseback.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
Defeated the
English king in the
Battle of Hastings.
Declared himself
the new king of
England.
To reward his
knights for their
part in victory,
he gave them
land. That
marked the
beginning of
FEUDALISM.
What was a knight who promised
to support a lord in exchange for
land called?
A vassal. This was the heart
of feudalism.
SERVICE
LAND
LAND!!! Aka FIEF!!!!
Why was land such a big deal?
• There was no Savemart
• There was no Food For Less
• You had to grow your own
food!
What was the noble called
that gave land to the knight in
exchange for protection?
A LORD
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…
OR THIS…
A lord.
A businessman.
His word was law
on the manor.
Collected taxes
from people who
lived on the manor.
Lived more comfortably
than other people on
the manor.
Had servants and a
large house, but life
is still not easy.
Lords who survived
diseases faced the
possibility of being
killed in war.
What were the large estates
owned by the lords called?
A manor.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…
Who worked the land?
WHO DO YOU THINK???!!!
THE PEASANTS AND SERFS
Serfs were not
slaves, but were tied
to the land.
Peasants were poor
workers. They were
not tied to the land.
Some asked to be
serfs for protection.
WHAT MADE LAND VALUABLE?
• The people who worked it…the peasants.
• In return, they received protection too.
• When the peasants left, land lost value.
WAIT A MINUTE…
WHAT ABOUT THE LADIES?
Women in the Middle Ages
• Fewer rights (surprise, right?)
• Had to obey the wishes of their fathers
or husbands.
• But, women still had important ROLES
in society.
Women in the Middle Ages
Peasant women
worked to support
their families.
Noblewomen ran
manors when their
husbands were
gone.
Noblewomen ran
manor households
and supervised
servants.
Some women who
wanted power and
influence joined the
Christian Church.
ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE
One of the most
powerful people of
the Middle Ages.
Became Queen
of France when she
married King Louis VII.
Was a noblewoman
who had great political
power.
Divorced Louis
and became Queen of
England when she
married King Henry II.
Towns and Trade Grow
Until 1,000 most
people lived on
manors or
small farms.
As Europe’s food
supply grew, so
did it’s population.
New technology
in farming led to
larger harvests.
As the population
grew, so did trade.
THE DECLINE OF FEUDALISM
Serfs and peasants left their manors for towns, slowly weakening the
manor system. REMEMBER…the land was only valuable if it was
worked.
Do you think the Lords of the Manor were far behind? No! They were
already skilled businessmen, so they moved to town and became
merchants.