Transcript Early Middle Ages - Tenafly Public Schools

Early Middle Ages
Germans 300 -550 AD
Had Roman culture but kept
most of their own
 Made living herding cattle &
farming
 Believed in hospitality
 Law came from the people
 German men = warriors
(fighting, hunting, making
weapons)
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Divided into clans with family ties
Chieftain – a military leader whom
Germans gave loyalty to
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Goth Conquerors
 Ostrogoths (East) and Visigoths (West)
 Huns conquered East Goths and Western Goths
went to Roman Empire
 Visigoths rebelled against Romans and captured
Rome and drove Vandals out of Spain
 Vandals went to N. Africa
 550 Roman Empire faded to 6 German kingdoms
The Franks 400 – 843 AD
Lived along Rhine River (modern day France
& Germany)
 Clovis (481): united all Franks under one
rule w/ Pope support
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Spoke form of Latin which turned to French
Set capital in Paris
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Charles Martel “The Hammer”
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Reunited all Frankish nobles w/
Church support
Battle of Tours (732)
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Defeated Arabs & Berbers (Muslims)
Led Christianity to survive in west
instead of Islam
Pepin (Martel’s son)
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1st Frankish king anointed by
holy oil
Fought the Lombards in Italy
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Gave land in Central Italy to the
Pope
Charlemagne - 768
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Goals: Have all of W. Europe in his rule &
become Christian
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Fought Wars:
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Lombards in Italy
Saxons (N. Germany)
Muslims (Pyrenees Mtns.)
800: Pope anointed him new
Christian/Roman Emperor
Believed in education
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Copied manuscripts
Used lower case letters
Arts began to blossom
Collapse
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Charlemagne’s
grandsons take over
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Too weak to rule so
nobles take control
Treaty of Verdun (843)
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Lothair: North Sea to
Italian peninsula
Louis: East (Present
Germany)
Charles: West (Present
day French)