Identify chronologically when the Middle Ages began and what
the periods primary characteristics entailed. Analyze the nature of
Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire Define a
power vacuum
Slide 4
Constituted by the years between Classical Antiquity and the
Modern Era End of antiquity = collapse of Roman Empire The
Renaissance ushered in the Modern Era. Roughly 500 until 1500 AD
Also known as the Medieval Times
Slide 5
Also known as Dark Ages (500-1000 AD) Scholars named this as a
time when the forces of darkness (barbarians) overwhelmed the
forces of light (Romans) Rise of influence of barbarians when
Emperors had granted barbarian mercenaries land with the Roman
Empire in return for military service and it was these barbarians
who eventually became the new rulers
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In political science and political history, the term power
vacuum is an analogy between a physical vacuum, to the political
condition "when someone has lost control of something and no one
has replaced them. No identifiable central power or authority Other
forces will tend to "rush in" to fill the vacuumarmed militia or
insurgents, military coup, warlord or dictator.
Slide 8
When Rome fell, language both reading and writing art, law,
technology, and culture begin to disappear Barbarians continued to
invade towns and cut off trade routes With no army the people were
left with no protection.
Slide 9
Leads to a patchwork of small kingdoms, each individually
governed by their own warrior kings and laws. Me dont read
good
Slide 10
Slide 11
Historical Situation Your Task: Today you will complete four
tasks in order to help you create a new kingdom. As you finish each
task, bring them to me to get your next task What did this activity
simulate? Why did my grammar get progressively worse? Why was the
emphasis continually placed on safety & security?
Slide 12
Invading group from the North. Claimed Gaul after the collapse
of the western Roman empire The origin present day France, and also
the nations namesake
Slide 13
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Who was the first true King of the Franks? Clovis What was the
name of his empire Merovingian Empire Why were the longhaired kings
called do nothings? Allowed the nobles to take control of the lands
What role did the Mayors of the Palace play? The real power behind
the throne
Slide 15
The Hammer First True King
Slide 16
Who was he? King of the Franks and eventual Emperor of the Holy
Roman Empire He embarked on a mission to unite all Germanic peoples
into one kingdom, and convert his subjects to Christianity. Reigned
741 - 814 CE
Slide 17
Born April 2, 742, in Northern Europe By the sword & the
cross became master of Western Europe. Father of Europe Through his
enlightened leadership, the roots of learning and order were
restored to Europe
Slide 18
768, age 26, he and Carloman (brother) inherit kingdom of the
Franks 771 Carloman died, Charlemagne became sole ruler of kingdom
Franks falling back into barbarian ways, neglect education &
religion North: Saxons were still pagans South: Roman Catholic
church fighting to recover land confiscated by barbarian Lombard
kingdom in central Italy Europe in turmoil
Slide 19
772 he launched a 30-year military campaign to reunite Europe
and bring order Defeated Lombards (in present-day northern Italy)
The Avars (in modern-day Austria and Hungary) Conquered Bavaria and
the Slavs (Germany) 782 (Massacre of Verden) Charlemagne
slaughtered some 4,500 Saxons Forced Saxons to convert to
Christianity, declared that anyone who didnt get baptized or follow
other Christian traditions be put to death HARSH!
Slide 20
802 Charlemagne undisputed ruler of Western Europe. Realm
encompassed France, Switzerland, Belgium, & Netherlands
Included half of present-day Italy and Germany, & parts of
Austria, Spain. Established central government over Western Europe,
restoring unity of the old Roman Empire Paved the way for the
development of modern Europe
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Charlemagne learned to read Latin and some Greek; did not
master writing. At meals, no jesters, listened to visiting scholars
read from learned works. Charlemagne believed that government
should be for the benefit of the governed. Tireless reformer; tried
to improve people's lives. He set up money standards to encourage
commerce, urged better farming methods and worked to spread
education and Christianity.
Slide 23
Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans on
December 25, 800, at St. Peters Basilica in Rome.
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His son Louis the Pious inherits the throne Very ineffectual
After his Louis death, three sons proceed to vie for power,
weakening the empire Charles the Bald Louis the German Lothair
Slide 26
Charles the Bald, Louis the German, Lothair
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Slide 28
A group from Scandinavia in northern Europe. The land there is
often frozen over so very little food was available. Eventually
their population got so big they had to go south to find food and
they did not go peacefully! Invading Vikings demolish the efforts
of Charlemagne
Slide 29
The strong were fighting and taking what they could get and
everyone else was cowering in fear No laws or empire to protect the
common man
Slide 30
The condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against
everyone elseThe life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short. Thomas Hobbes, described life in Europe During the Middle
Ages this way:
Slide 31
The Early or Low Middle Ages (Dark Age) was a time of Germanic
tribes sweeping across Europe, of Viking invasions, of small tribal
kingdoms fighting war bands. Chaotic & lawless Typically the
period from the fall of the Roman Empire until after the Viking
Invasions throughout Europe
Slide 32
Rapidly increasing population of Europe, invigorates economy
Charlemagne onward, Europe saw the last of the barbarian invasions
and became more socially and politically organized First
universities established in Bologna, Salerno, Paris and Modena Vast
forests and marshes of Europe were cleared and cultivated
Reintroduction of classical philosophers and writers leads to
scholasticism Gothic architectural projects completed
Slide 33
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Lincolnshire Cathedral, England, c. 1200
Slide 35
Choir at Canterbury Cathedral. Note how tall it is!
Slide 36
First page of the Nowell Codex (the Beowulf manuscript) Cotton
Vitellius A.xv, produced circa 800 CE,
Slide 37
Gold- illuminated lettering for Psalm1:1. Created in the court
school of Emperor Charlemagne, 9th century.
Slide 38
Unicorn Psalter, circa 1200 from France. Note the detail in the
initial and the babuins or grotesques in the margins.
Slide 39
move from an age of Anglo- Saxon war chiefs and Viking
pirates... The Sutton Hoo helmet of an Anglo-Saxon cyning or thegn,
dating to early 600, found near Suffolk, England.
Slide 40
Statuary over Sarcophagus of King Henry IV and his wife, Joan
of Navarre, from Canterbury Cathedrals crypt.
Slide 41
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A political and economic system based on land- holding and
protective alliances, emerges in Europe.
Slide 43
Feudalism Structures Society Approximately 850 to 950,
feudalism emergespolitical system based on land control Simply put:
One guy owns the land, another works on it. Each group of people
had specific jobs to complete.
Slide 44
MONARCH The king was at the top. He owned all of the land, but
he needed support to keep his power.
Slide 45
MONARCH NOBLES Nobles pledged homage, agreed to pay taxes and
send knights to fight for the king. In exchange they received
fiefsor land grants
Slide 46
MONARCH VASSALS & KNIGHTS The nobles then gave land to
vassals, aka knights, who agreed to fight for the noble (and by
extension the king). A vassal is a person who holds land (a fief)
from a feudal superior in return for homage and loyalty.
NOBLES
THE POPE & THE CHURCH MONARCH VASSALS & KNIGHTS
MERCHANTS, FARMERS, CRAFTSMENT PEASANTS & SERFS NOBLES
Slide 50
King Nobles protection Knights land (fiefs) protectionlabor
(work) Peasants Lords
Slide 51
Imagineland 1. The King officially owns all of the land of the
country. He usually builds a large castle in his capital city. 2.
To get nobles to support him the king divides his land and puts
nobles in charge of their own area. 3. The nobles divide their land
and use that to pay knights who then protect the land and serve the
king. 4. Peasants are allowed to live on the land and build farms.
They pay taxes to the nobles and cant leave. 5. Taxes ultimately
end up going to the king. Peasants work, knights protect, nobles
collect, king gets rich.
Slide 52
No Roman Empire means no Roman Army. No army means no
protection. People willingly (usually) gave up their land to be
protected. It was all about survival.
Slide 53
People turned to feudalism for protection. Landowners hired
knights to protect the peasants who agreed to work for the
landowners. This further divided Europe.
Slide 54
Three social categories those who fight: nobles and knights
those who pray: monks, nuns, leaders of the Church those who work:
peasants Social class is usually inherited; majority of people are
peasants Most peasants are serfspeople lawfully bound to place of
birth Serfs arent slaves, but what they produce belongs to their
lord
Slide 55
The nobles (lord) estate, a manor, has an economic system
(manor system) Serfs and free peasants maintain the lords estate,
given grain as payment The lord provides housing, farmland,
protection from bandits
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The lord chose officials to run the manor The seneschal looked
after the nobles fiefs Manager of the manor The bailiff oversaw the
lands and buildings of the manor, collected fines and rents and
acted as accountants Each manor had its own court of law Courts
gave out fines and punishments and discussed manor business
Slide 58
Noble of the manor lived in a large wooden house or a castle. A
small villages of cottages would be nearby. There was a church, a
mill, a bread oven, and a wine press in each village. Villages were
surrounded by forests, meadows, pastures, and fields.
Slide 59
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Cottages surrounded a village green. Made of wood and dirt
Thatched roofs made with bundles of straw One or two rooms Slept on
piles of straw on dirt floor Stools and tables were the only
furniture At night, the animals also stayed in the cottage Diseases
and fleas rampant
Slide 61
Serfs and descendants owned by the noble Could not move, own
property, or marry without permission Did not serve in army Could
buy freedom If a serf ran away and was not found in one year s/he
was free Worked nobles land three days a week; rest of time worked
own strips of land Gave part of their crop to the noble Had to pay
to use mill, bread oven, & wine press. Life expectancy approx
35 years
Slide 62
Fashions of the Middle Ages
Slide 63
Food of the Middle Ages
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Slide 65
Guilds allowed people in the same business to work together for
common goals. They helped support needy members, train new members,
and standardized prices and the quality of goods. They set prices
and prevented outsiders from selling goods in town. Set standards
for their trade/craft
Between 8 and 14, a boy who wanted to learn a certain trade
became an apprentice. He lived and worked in the home of a master
of that trade for as long as 7 years. Then he became a journeyman
in which his work would be judged by guilded officials to see if
his work met the standards. If it did then he would be let in the
guild