Changes in medieval society

CHANGES IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY

Chapter 14 Section 2

VOCAB

Three field system

Guild

Commercial Revolution

Burgher

Vernacular

Thomas Aquinas

Scholastics

GROWING FOOD SUPPLY

Warmer climate 800-1200 in Europe led to more available farming lands

Horsepower: horses replaced oxen for plowing fields

• Horse could plow 3x as much in one day as oxen

Farmers also changed how they organized their farming land,

• Three field system emerges…

THREE FIELDS SYSTEM

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

Farmers plant on two fields at a time leave one field resting for a year.

“Resting” field given chance to become fertile again.

Food production increased.more food allowed for dramatic rise in Europe’spopulation.

Guilds:• First unions • Helped workers in the

same area control pricing• Also offered protection for

each other and how to train new workers

• Europe’s economy begins to grow; brings about the return to urban life and the downfall of the manor system.

GUILD S AND THE CO MMERCIAL REVO LU TIO N

Commercial Revolution • Increased trade routes

after the crusades made a variety of products available to new people

• Fairs: people would travel to towns on “fair days” to trade with people from across the world

• Towns start to grow to cities, people of Europe have new ways to make money

Between 1000-1150 population of Europe rose from 30-42 million people

As trade grew so did towns and cities

• Serfs would run-away to towns for a better life. Living in a town for a year and a day made you a free man

URBAN LIFE FLOURISHES

Problems in the cities:• Narrow streets filled

with animals and animal waste

• No sewers many most people dumped human waste into the streets

• Poor hygiene; lack of clean water

• Houses made of thatch constant fire hazard

REVIVAL OF LEARNING

During the Crusades Christian interaction with Muslin and Byzantines greatly expanded.

Muslim libraries housed copies of the works of Greek philosophers; works that all but disappeared in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire

Muslim Connection• 1100s Christian

scholars visited Muslim libraries in Spain

• Gained knowledge of science, philosophy, law, mathematics etc.

• Crusaders brought back superior Muslim technology in shipping, navigation, and weapons

REVIVAL OF LEARNING

Scholars and Universities• ‘university”- group of

people who met whenever they could

• People not buildings made up European unis

• 1100s schools arose and filled by sons of burghers, wealthy merchants.

• Writers started writing in vernacular instead of Latin

Dante Aligheri – The Divine Comedy (1308-1314)Written in Italian

Geoffrey Chaucer – The Canterbury Tales (1386-1400) Written in English

THOMAS AQUINAS Click icon to add picture

Believed he could prove the most basic religious truths

through logic.