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MIDDLE AGES
McKay-Chapter 12
CATASTROPHES 1300-1453
climactic change
ecological collapse
European pandemic
fall of Byzantine Empire
economic decline
civil strife in new cities and nations
religious upheavals
steep decline in European population
LITTLE ICE AGE
Unusual amount of storms brought torrential
rains, ruining the crops
Poor harvests (1 in 4) led to starvation
GREAT FAMINE 1315-1322
Between1315-1317repeated waves of local famine
swept over various parts of Europe
Inadequate food supplies
Less energy= lower productivity (not enough to eat
during Great Famine)
Kings across Europe selfish and not help their people
Overpopulation, economic depression, famine, and
bad health progressively weakened Europe’s
populationvulnerable to bubonic plague
BLACK DEATH
Called Black Death because of the way it
colored the bodies
Cause- rat flea with microorganism “Yersinia
pestis” inhabited black rat (rattus rattus)
Spread- drought in Mongolia/China, ships
followed trade routes to Europe
1347 1st- Constantinople, Sicily, then Venice,
Genoa, Pisa,
1348 France, Spain, England
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CAUSES OF BLACK DEATH?
Feared causes- bad air, wrath of God, Jews,
cats, dogs
Some thought earthquakes
Others thought sexual promiscuity
Blamed Jews-Pogroms occurred (organized
riots against Jews)
REMEDIES
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Affected the Lungs
Coughing, wheezing- airborne so spread quickly
Flagellants- hitting oneself (done by religious
fanatics)- but dirty, bleeding diseases may have
spread the Plague even more; finally outlawed
Ring Around the Rosie
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Ring around the rosy,
A pocketful of posies.
ashes, ashes.
We all fall down!.
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Ring a-ring o' roses,
A pocketful of posies.
a-tishoo!, a-tishoo!.
We all fall down.
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
OF BLACK DEATH
Shrunken labor supply
Decline in value of nobility estates
Farms decline- # of farm labors decrease, so
wages increase
Agricultural products demand down, so price
down
Noble landowners suffered worst because
forced to pay for finished products and farm
labor, while receiving smaller return on
agricultural produce
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
OF BLACK DEATH- Peasants Revolt
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To recoup losses, landowners converted their
land to sheep pasture, substituting more
profitable wool production for labor-intensive
grains
1351- English Parliament passed Statute of
Laborers- limited wages to pre-plague levels,
restricted ability of peasants to leave their
masters’ land
1381- couldn’t stand such legislation,
revolted!
SOCIAL EFFECTS
OF BLACK DEATH
intensification of superstition and hysteria
rise of religious fanaticism
civil and church persecution of witchcraft
served as excuse to continue Jewish pograms
upswing in violent death
morbid preoccupation with death
abandonment of duties
belief in return of Christ and end of the world
increase in pleasurable activities
suspicion of travellers and pilgrims
profound pessimism
slighting of funeral rites
SOCIAL EFFECTS
OF BLACK DEATH
Rise of cities- cities passed legislation to regulate
competition from rural areas and to control immigration
(so as not to overcrowd)
After the Plague, this legislation extended into rural areas
where nobles lived- they were then integrated into
urban life
Demand for furs, jewels, expensive clothes- always in small
supply, but now skilled artisans in shortage, so even
more expensive
This rise in price encouraged workers to migrate to the city
and learn the artisan skills
Cities now full of wealth, products from countryside
declined
HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
Normans of England vs. Capetian kings of
France
Between 1337-1453
A struggle for national identity
CAUSES OF HUNDRED
YEARS’ WAR
Began when England’s King Edward III (only 15yrs), grandson of
France’s Philip the Fair- wanted the throne because no apparent
French Heir.
Instead chose Charles Philip VI of Valois, nephew of Philip the Fair
(ruled in early 1300s)
England and France always enemies
Edward also vassal (person granted land for accepting obligations
to render services to a lord) of Philip VI- holding several
territories in France
England owning land in France threatened centralized power- could
be swayed into going either French of English
English had better technology (used longbow), and more clever
Kings
HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
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England captured France’s King, John II- created political
breakdown in France
Power in France then by the Estates General (representive
council of townspeople, clergy, nobles)- but too divided to be
effective government
Both England and France having rebellions in own country (civil
wars over taxes and peasants vs. nobles). Peasants rebelled
(rebellions known as Jacquerie), but nobles quickly put these to
rest.
When Edward III died, England’s effort lessened because having
own peasant rebellions.
Henry V ( 1413-1422) took over, but France highly divided
Then came Charles VII to lead France to victory
Hundred Years’ War- Joan of Arc
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Peasant
Went to French King (then Charles VII, losing political
power b/c losing war), said King of Heaven told her to
safe Orleans from English
Orleans key to control French territory
English in Orleans exhausted when Joan arrived
Not a great military expert, but gave troops feeling of
national identity and destiny
Charles VII forgot about her soon after when he was in
full power. The Burgundians (under English rule),
captured Joan, turned over to Inquisition
Burned as Heritic. Eventually made a Saint in Catholic
Church
EFFECTS OF HUNDRED
YEARS’ WAR
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Ended b/c Burgundians made peace with Charles
VII, helped push English out
Devastated France and weakened them nationally
Hastened transition from feudal monarchy to
centralized state
Hit Peasants hardest b/c forced to support war with
taxes and services
Presented opportunities for wealth- Poor and
unemployed knights were offered regular wages;
criminals granted pardons; nobles given estates;
fighters could keep whatever seized if won;
Decline of Medieval Chivalry
DECLINE IN CHURCH PRESTIGE
Heresy
Babylonian Captivity
Great Schism
Council of Pisa
Council of Constance
Conciliar Movement
WYCLIFFE
John Wycliffe- English. Wanted end to Papal
claims of power. Said we should look only to
scriptures (Bible). Get rid of saints, luxuries,
etc.
Because of him- first English Bible! People
could actually read it on their own!
Precursor to Protestant Reformation
HUS
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Jan Hus- Czech
Supported vernacular translations of Bible
Advocated communion with cup and bread (before just
for the clergy- showed their superiority over everyone)
Hus leader of Wycliff teachings in Bohemia
Followers called Hussites
His teaching brought him to excommunication in 1410
Burned at the stake in 1414 for Heresy
Bohemia revolted after their national hero burned
Hussites won significant control over the Bohemian
church with religious reforms after a decade of fighting
BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
From 1309-1376 Popes live in Avignon, southeastern France
Philip the Fair of France (start of 100 yrs war)
wanted Pope Clement V to move to Avignon
so could control the Church
Clement too sick with Cancer, followed Philip’s
advice
Period of time called Babylonian Captivity b/c of
reference to 70 yrs of Hebrew captivity in
Mesopotamian Babylon
BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY
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Badly damaged papal prestige
Popes here focused more on bureaucratic
matters, no spiritual objectives
Life of luxury and extravagance
Cut off from Rome
GREAT SCHISM
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1377- Popes back at Rome
Urban VI (1378-1389): Italian; chosen as
Pope b/c cardinals voting were pressured to
bring Church back to Rome officially with
Italian Pope- but cardinals swore it was voted
sincerely
Urban want to reform church- no luxuries, but
in a tactless and bullheaded manner
Cardinals called out for luxuries- defacing
their reputation
GREAT SCHISM
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Urban VI becoming arrogant with Power, now
corrupt
Cardinals slipped away to France, declared Urban’s
election invalid b/c made under threats
In Fondi (btw Rome and Naples), elected Clement
VII Pope
Thus 2 Popes
This divide (called the Great Schism) split Western
Christendom until 1417
France with Clement, England with Urban
Brought about ideas of the Church government
COUNCILS
Constance 1414-1418
permanently ended split
elected Martin V
CONCILIAR MOVEMENT
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Conciliarists- believe reform of church best
be achieved through periodic assemblies, or
general councils, representing all Christian
people
Pope head, but Pope receive authority from
entire Christian community- not an absolute
monarch
Wanted Papal authority shared with general
council, not monarchy
DECLINE OF FEUDALISM
resurgence of Roman law (displaces feudal contract)
new weapons (replaces castles)
growth of commerce (displaces manorial system)
Black Death (caused labor shortage, higher wages)
Hundred Years War
nobility seek more power
national identity established (popes have less power
and prestige)
TH
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CENTURY MARRIAGE
Church said for marriage to be valid, both partners must consentbut parents arranged due to financial reasons
When decided on a spouse for child, parents paid a merchet- fine to
lord for woman’s marriage, since he lost a worker
Women married around 16-21
Men married in 20s
Peasants didn’t marry until mid-late 20s (m &w)
More tolerance for male sexuality than female- prostitution not
respected for women, but legal
Loved their children, had lots to work the land
Divorce not allowed
Annulments granted in extraordinary circumstances
PARISH LIFE
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Intertwined with Farm life for peasants
Apprenticeships typical
Life in general patriarchal- women had very
defined roles
Fur-collar crime: inflation led the nobles to
steal from the peasants (called fur-collar b/c
only nobility allowed to wear fur)
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Think Robin Hood
Represented the deep resentment for aristocratic
corruption
FRENCH PEASANT REVOLT
Cause- breakdown in order and economic dislocation; action of
desperation
Sides- Parisians wanted to limit monarchial power, while landed nobles
wanted to hold onto politically privileged
position
Results- initially successful in short-term gains): (castles burned, nobles
killed); quickly crushed
(privileged classes closed ranks, savagely massacred
rebels and ended revolt)
Why failed- geographically dispersed, no unity between urban and rural,
no long-range goals, no experience ruling
ENGLISH PEASANT REVOLT
Cause- product not of desperation but of rising
expectations; monarch’s imposition of poll tax on
each adult
Sides- peasants (greater freedom, higher wages,
lower rent); aristocratic landlords (legislation to
depress wages, attempt to re-impose old feudal
dues)
Results- initial success (manors burned, officials
murdered) but march on London demanded end to
serfdom and immunity
VERNACULAR LITERATURE
Dante- The Inferno, Divine
Comedy
Chaucer- Canterbury Tales (1st
to use rhymed couplets in
iambic pentameter); 1st
great English poet,
Villon- Grant Testament
de Pisan- The Book of the City
of Ladies
CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGES
Goal- travel either to Canterbury Cathedral
or Jerusalem
Purposes- expose them to religious sites and
sacred objects
Why go?- cure ailments, ill relations, show of
devotion, enjoyment and recreation,
EFFECTS OF PRINTING PRESS
reading increased
quantity of books
increased
price of books decreased
power of Church
decreased
knowledge increased