The Viking Explorations
The Vikings were from Scandinavia– this includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
The curved ends of the Viking ships made them better for the rough North Atlantic
They raided and traded through out Europe
Much of what we know about the Vikings comes from sagas (Viking stories)
The Viking Explorations
Leif Eriksson gathered a crew in about A.D. 1000 and reached North America, landing on the island of Newfoundland (first European contact with North America)
Eriksson settled at an area called Vinland but left after a few years
Their main reason for leaving was Native attacks
The Middle Ages
The Middle Ages in Europe begins as the Roman Empire ends in the late A.D. 300s
The time period is roughly from A.D. 500 to 1500
Trade and communication during this time were limited and populations of cities fell
The Middle Ages
Feudalism emerged during this time period
Vassals would pledge their loyalty to a lord in exchange for land
Lords needed money to equip and feed knights that defended their manor (large estate)
The Middle Ages
Peasants were free tenants or serfs that farmed the land
Tenants rented their land while serfs lived on the land for free both were loyal to the lord in exchange for his protection
Life on the Manor
Lords and their families lived in large wooden or stone houses or castles
Noblemen spent their time ruling, fighting in battle, and managing their farmland
Noblemen and Noblewomen spent a large amount of time carrying out duties as Christians
Eleanor of Aquitaine was described as the ideal noblewomen as “beautiful yet virtuous (moral), powerful yet gentle, humble yet keenwitted (intelligent)
As a peasant the whole family lived, ate, and slept in the same room
Under feudalism a person’s birth usually determined their place in society
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church was the center of religious and social life in the Middle Ages
Most Europeans during this time were Roman Catholic
By the 800s, the Church owned large amounts of land and advised rulers on important decisions
Many art and achitecture projects were paid for by the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church
Monasteries were important because they housed monks who gave up all personal possessions and created centers of learning and produced books
Though Monasteries themselves had vast lands
The Catholic Church
Convents allowed the same thing for women who would then become nuns
Women would sometimes choose this life instead of marriage and child-rearing
Convents did allow women to become educated which did not happen any where else
The Rise of Nations
During the mid and late Middle Ages some nobles were losing power to kingdoms
William of Normandy conquered England in 1066 and made it into one of the kingdoms in the world
He then surveyed the kingdom and put together the “Domesday Book” or Day of Judgement Book for taxes
The Rise of Nations
In 1215 the nobles rebelled against William’s great-great-grandson King John and made him sign the Magna Carta (Great Charter)
It was the first document that protected free people from the King
The Rise of Nations
In the early 1200s trade greatly increased and Italian Merchants began to trade with nations around the Mediterranean Sea and northern Europe
This marked the beginning of the Renaissance, a rebirth of arts and learning of ancient Greece and Rome
The Rise of Nations
Farming changed during this time as farmers learned to rotate crops, fertilize crops, and new technology lead to a greater output for farmers
This lead to rise in population in towns and cities
With this growth of technology, trade, and kingdoms– the 1500s marked the ending of the Middle Ages