Transcript LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Kathleen Melfy
THE MIDDLE AGES 450-1300
Early Middle Ages, also known as the Dark
Ages from 450-1000.
High Middle Ages were from 1000 to 1300.
Causes of the Dark Ages
Collapse of trades and towns.
Loss of literacy.
Personal ties replaced citizenship.
Barbarian invasions.
Role of Church in Dark Ages
Missionaries worked on converting
barbarians.
Benedictine rules set up for monasteries.
Scholastica would set up the rules for all
nunneries.
Church would become the heart of society for
people.
Pope Gregory I raised standards for clergy.
Important People of the Early
Middle Ages
Clovis—early Merovingian King,known as long haired ruler of the Franks
starts a strong family of rulers.
Pepin the Short—Frankish King who worked with Pope to strengthen the
Merovingian Power and line.
Charlemagne—Greatest Merovingian King who extended the empire to
include all of modern day France, most of modern day Germany and
the northern half of modern day Italy. He increased learning and
required loyalty from all his subjects, including the clergy.
Rulers of the Late Dark Ages
Charles the Bald—Most
of Modern France
Louis the German—Most
of Modern Germany
Lothair—Land between
the other brothers.
Feudalism emerges during Early Middle Ages
 A political and military system
based on the holding of land.
 Bond was then formed between
the lord and his vassal.
 Redividing of a fief of land into
the feudal pyramid became law.
 http://historymedren.about.com/
library/weekly/aa061898.htm
Feudal Roles of the Poor
Serfs—Most peasants. They were not free,
but they were connected to the land. If the
land was sold the serfs went with it.
Free peasants. Enjoyed greater freedom, but
were only 5% of the population.
Peasant Duties
 Two to three days of labor each week on the lord’s lands.
 Portion of grain grown on the their land given to the lord.
 One out of every ten pigs given to the lord and it must be
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slaughtered and dressed for the lord.
A gift at Christmas and Easter of eggs and chickens.
A tax on all grain ground in the lord’s mills.
A tax when a serf married, only done with the lord’s
permission.
A gift to the lord’s children upon their marriage.
Life Improves in the High Middle Ages
 Farming improved with the invention of the 3 field system and the
heavy plow.
 Trade is revived.
 Towns grew larger and richer.
 Fairs were the center of trade, which included both local fairs and great
fairs.
Guilds and Crafts in the Trades
 Guild Functions
 Merchant guilds—controlled all
the trade in the town.
 Craft guilds—contained all of
the skilled artisans.
 Set and enforced standards that
all were required to follow.
 Fixed prices on all goods.
 Paid for funeral expenses for its
members.
 Trained new workers and set up
the apprentice and journeyman
system.
Religious Leaders of the High Middle Ages
Monks adopt stricter rules for their members.
Reformers end the abuses of simony and lay investiture.
Church’s provide many social services to the poor, hungry
and sick.
Friars start to preach to the poor to convert them.
Outstanding Leaders of the High Middle Ages
 William the Conqueror (1066-1087) took over England.
 Hugh Capet of France started the Capetian dynasty that
ruled for 200 years.
 Otto the Great (936-973) ruled and help unite Germany.
 Frederick Barbarsossa (1152-1190) was the first Holy
Roman Emperor including most of Germany, part of Italy
and some other surrounding lands.
Learning is revived and Spread in the High Middle
Ages
Scholars start to gather at universities, which meant the
teacher and the books, not the buildings.
Scholars rediscover Greek writings.
Books are hand copied at monasteries.
Poems and songs are written and the knightly heroes theory is
started.
Goals and Consequences of the Crusades
 Goals
 Pope’s goals– reclaiming
the holy land from the
infidels.
 Knights goals-as 2nd & 3rd
sons in their families to
earn fame and fortune.
 Merchants goals-to
increase trade and travel.
 Consequences
 Decline of Papal prestige.
 Decline in the power of
the nobles.
 Decrease in Byzantine
power.
 Increase in religious
intolerance.
 Increase in trade.