LATE MIDDLE AGES:LIFE GETS BETTER! NOTES

Turn in last week’s bellwork and get a new one

Bellwork for 2/9What is going to change for life in the

Middle Ages to get better?

Better Farming

Began using the IRON plow pulled by a HORSE-could cut through thicker, tougher soils at a much faster rate

Developed a THREE-FIELD crop rotation system-1/3 land planted with spring crops;1/3 with winter crops; 1/3 left fallow (unplanted)

Monks called the CISTERCIANS cut down forests, drained marshes, bringing huge areas of land under cultivation. Introduced sheep farming to regions, increasing wool production.

Predicting the Past

Read the question, think of your answer, then write your answer down. Make sure you write the classes’ answer down.

Based off of the last slide, what 2 main effects do you think all

the farming developments had on Europe?

Better Trade

Surplus crops from one area were traded for surplus crops from another

Manufactured goods like wool, expensive clothes, weaponry, and jewelry began being traded long distance to Africa, Middle East, and Asia

Merchants needed safer way to carry coins, so Italians developed bills and banking (exchanging the bills for coins)

Think, Pair, Share

Read the question, think of your answer, when prompted, share with your group Make sure you write the classes’ answer down.

Looking at the map, which area of Europe do you think is going

to benefit the most (getting filthy, stickin’ rich) from the

better trade?

Better Towns

Towns became centers of trade and industry Number of skilled craftworkers increased and

those that had the same skills banded together, creating GUILDS.

Members paid fees to guilds and in return for protection. If worker died, guild paid for funeral and cared for the family.

Guilds regulated business; only those trained and tested could have own business. Controlled quality of products and prices.

Things to Ponder

Read the question, think of your answer, then write your answer down. Make sure you write the classes’ answer down.

Pretend time. You are a peasant that has been given permission to leave the lord’s manor to go to town for some item. You see the huge cathedrals, the busy

markets, all the people and money. What are you going to

do?

FINAL THOUGHT

How did life in the Middle Ages improve?

LATE MIDDLE AGES:RELIGION AND LEARNING

Group F, hand out some graded work please

Bellwork for 2/10How did religion help the advancement of

learning? How did it hurt it?

LATE MIDDLE AGES:AND EVERYTHING GETS WORSE NOTES

Bellwork for 2/12So population is up, trade is awesome, and

learning is growing. What things could totally stop all of that?

Famine and The Hundred Years War

1315-1317, rained so much that crops were ruined, cattle died from disease, people died of starvation. Known as the Great Famine (serious shortage of food)

Hundred Years War started with Edward III of England claiming the French throne.

Lasted from 1337-1453 had few battles but roaming armies destroyed crops and brought starvation to peasants.

England and France becoming unified nations, not a bunch of small manors so war was a nation war, not feudal.

Weapons and Joan of Arc English won early battles because of the

longbow. Arrows struck with great force, piercing the armor of the French.

Eventually both sides began using guns (shot through armor) and cannons (shot down walls)

Early 1400s peasant French girl Joan of Arc claimed she heard voices from heaven had told her to dress in knight’s clothing and lead the French army. French began winning

Joan captured, tried for heresy, and burned at stake but tides had turned in French won the war and Joan now known as a saint.

The Black Death 1347 Europe struck by the bubonic plague. Began in Central Asia and spread along trade

routes to China, India, and eventually Europe on a merchant ship that docked at Italy.

Victims died within a few days in agony. Disease carried by fleas on rats AND through the

air. 1/3 of all Europeans, tens of millions of people,

died. Looked for someone to blame so Christians falsely

accused the Jews of spreading the plague by poisoning wells. Jews were exiled or killed if they didn’t convert.

Peasant’s Revolt

So many died that there were two few people left to farm and lords were desperate for workers.

Serfs demanded wages and left manors for places offering higher wages. Lords tried to limit serfs movements and freeze wages.

1381 English peasants mounted the Peasant’s Revolt, killing lords, burning manors, destroying feudalism

FINAL THOUGHT

The last years of the Middle Ages were pretty awful. But how did the plague

actually end up improving the Middle Ages?