The Rise of Europe

Chapter 7

The Early Middle AgesSection 1

Western Europe in Decline

• The Roman Empire included much of Western Europe.

• After the fall of Rome, Europe entered a period of political, social, and economic decline.

• Waves of invaders, trading slowed down, and people left the towns.

Medieval

• The period between 500 to 1500 would be called the Middle Ages.

• The culture during this time was called medieval.

The Rise of the Germanic Kingdoms

• The Goths, Vandals, Saxons, and Franks all conquered parts of the Roman empire.

• Mostly farmers and herders and lived in small communities.

• Kings were elected by tribal councils and Western Europe was divided into small kingdoms.

The Franks extend their power• King Clovis of the Franks conquered Gaul,

which would later become the Kingdom of France

• Clovis converted to Christianity

Muslim Empire Threatens Europe

• The Religion of Islam began in Arabia in the 600’s.

• Muslims, or believers of Islam, began to build a huge empire.

• Muslim armies began conquering Christian lands from Palestine to North Africa to present day Spain.

Muslim Empire threatens Europe• Charles Martel rallied Frankish warriors at the

Battle of Tours In 732 when the Muslim armies crossed into France.

• The Christian warriors won and the Muslims advanced no further into Western Europe

The Age of Charlemagne

• Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, briefly united Western Europe and built an empire that stretched from what is now France, Germany, and part of Italy.

A new emperor of the Romans

• Charlemagne became emperor of the Romans when he arrested the rebellious nobles in Rome.

• Pope Leo III was so thankful that he named Charlemagne emperor.

• This angered the Eastern Roman emperor in Constantinople.

Creating and Unified Christian Empire

• Charlemagne worked closely with the church to spread Christianity and create a united Christian Europe.

• Charlemagne appointed powerful nobles to rule local regions

• Sent out missi dominici to keep control of provincial rulers and to see that justice was done.

A Revival of Learning

• Encouraged the creation of local schools to encourage Latin learning throughout the empire.

• Saw the need to keep accurate records and write clear reports

Europe After Charlemagne

• After Charlemagne died in 814, his son Louis I took the throne.

• But Louis sons would later battle for power.• Finally in 843 Charlemagne’s grandsons drew

up the Treaty of Verdun, which split the empire into three regions.

Charlemagne’s Legacy

• He extended Christian civilization into northern Europe

• He set up strong efficient governments.

New Waves of Invasions

• Muslim forces still posed a threat to the Christian Empire.

• In the late 800’s the Muslims conquered Sicily, which became a thriving center of Muslim culture.

• The Magyars overran eastern Europe in about 900 and settled in present day Hungary.

Raiders from the North

• The Vikings were in Scandinavia were they were independent farmers and expert sailors.

• Starting the the 700 the Vikings set out looting and burning communities along the coasts and rivers of Europe.

• Vikings sailed all around the Mediterranean Sea and across the Atlantic trading.

• Around the year 1000 they set up a short-lived Viking colony in North America.

The Vikings

Feudalism and the Manor EconomySection 2

Feudalism: A Political System

• Feudalism= a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their landholdings among lesser lords.

• These lesser lords were called vassals and they pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord.

Mutual Obligations

• Feudal Contract= a powerful lord granted his vassal a fief, or estate, which included peasants to work the land, as well as any town or building on it.

• The lord promised to protect the vassal and in return the vassal pledged loyalty to his lord.

• The vassal also agreed to 40 days of military service each year.

A Structured Society• Below the monarch were powerful lords such

as dukes and counts, who held the largest fiefs.

• Each lord has vassals, and in turn those vassals had their own vassals.

The World of Knights and Nobles• Many nobles began training at age 7 for future

occupations as a knight, or mounted warrior.• He learned to ride and fight and keep his

armor and weapons in good condition at the castle of his fathers lord.

Knights

• Knights usually fought on horseback using swords, axes, and lances, which were long poles.

• Wore armor and carried shields

• Knights engaged in mock battles called tournaments.

Castles and Defense• Powerful lords fortified their homes to

withstand attack and eventually created large stone castles with high walls, towers, and drawbridges.

• The Knights who defended the castle also lived there

Noblewomen: Restrictions and Power

• While the husband or father was away fighting, the “lady of the manor” would take over his duties.

• Land and fiefs usually passed to the eldest son in the family.

• The daughters were sent to training and learned how to spin and weave and how to supervise servants.

Chivalry: Romance and Reality

• Chivalry= required knights to be brave, loyal, and true to their word. They had to fight fairly.

• Knights must also protect the weak. This usually always placed women on a pedestal.

• The Knights followed this code of conduct.• Troubadours= wondering musicians

The Manor: An Economic System

• The heart of the medieval economy was the manor, or lord’s estate.

• Manors included one or more villages and the surrounding lands.

• Peasants worked the manor and were called serfs.

• Serfs could not leave the manor without the lord’s permission

Lords and Peasants: Mutual Obligations

• Peasants spent several days a week farming the lords lands and repairing his roads, bridges, and fences.

• In return for their labor the peasants were entitled to protection from raids and warfare and could farm land for themselves

A Self-Sufficient World

• The peasants produced almost everything they needed, from food and clothing to simple furniture and tools.

• Most peasants never left their village. So they had no schooling or knowledge of an outside world.

• A typical manor included cottages and huts clustered closely together with surrounding fields.

Peasant Life

• The peasant family ate a simple diet of black bread with vegetables such as cabbage, turnips, or onions. Seldom ate meat.

• Family and livestock slept together• Still celebrated marriages and births.• Life was harsh– Worked long hours from sunup to sundown

The Medieval ChurchSection 3

The Sacraments

Main Events of a Persons Life

Monks and Nuns

Vatican City: Rome

Economic Recovery Sparks Change

Section 4

An Agricultural Revolution• By 800’s, peasants were using iron plows that

carved deep into the heavy soil.• A new harness allowed peasants to use horses

rather than oxen to pull the plows

Production and Population Grow• Brought more land into use by clearing

forests, draining swamps, and reclaiming wasteland for farming and grazing.

• Rotated crops using the three-field system– Planted one field with grain, one with legumes,

and left the third unplanted.– This new method only left 1/3 of land unplanted.

The Revival of Trade and Travel

• As the population grew and people began to feel safer, they began to travel.

• Crusaders brought luxury goods back to Europe from the Middle East and Asia.

• Traders began to crisscross Europe to meet the growing demand for goods.

Trade Routs Expand

• They traveled in armed caravans and followed regular trade routes to the middle east and Asia.

The Growth of towns and Cities

• As merchants set up shops in small settlements along trade routes, populations grew and they eventually became the first medieval cities.

• Charter= set out the rights and privileges of the town– Had to ask the local lord for a charter– In return the merchants paid the lord a large sum of

money• As populations grew, manors became overcrowded

and lords often allowed peasants to buy their freedom and move to towns.

The Beginnings of Modern Business

• As trade revived, the use of money increased.– Need for Capital= money for investment

• Groups of merchants joined together in partnerships.– The pooled their funds to finance large-scale

venture that would have been too costly for any individual trader.

The Beginnings of Modern Business

• Local merchants developed a system of insurance to help reduce business risks.

• Developed credit

Society begins to change• As a result of the use of money, many serfs

began selling farm products to townspeople and paying rent to their lord in cash instead of labor.

• Most peasants in Western Europe were Tenant Farmers, who paid rent for their land.

The rise of the middle class

• Merchants, traders, and artisans formed the middle class.

• The middle class gained economic and political power through guilds which cooperated to protect their own economic interests.– Merchant Guilds– Artisans Guilds

Becoming a Guild Member

• At the age 7 or 8, a child might become an apprentice, or trainee, to a guild master.

• Most people became journeymen, or salaried workers, who worked for guild members.

Town and City Life• Medieval towns an cities were surrounded by

high, protective walls.• Because of overcrowding, city dwellers added

a second or third story to houses and shops.• Great cathedral towered above all residences.