THE MIDDLE OF WHAT?

THE PERIOD CALLED THE MIDDLE AGES IS BETWEEN THE FALL OF ROME AND THE RENIASSANCEABOUT 400 C.E. TO 1400 C.E.IT’S A PERIOD OF RECOVERY AND GROWTH,DECLINE, GROWTH AGAIN…

Where is it?

Civilization comes to parts of Europe that had been left out of RomeGermany, Northern Britain, Scandinavia…It gradually spreads to cover all of Western Europe

Changes Continuities

CrusadesNew technologies ( 3 field system, Mold-board plow)New trading items (sugar, spices, fruits, textiles) from “East”Urbanization ( rise of trading towns and villages)New banking industries ( joint stock companies, banking , credit, guilds, monopolies)Centralization of monarchsDecline in power of Catholic ChurchMagna Carta ( limited power of monarch and provided written rights and legislative body known as Parliament)New weaponry ( longbow, gunpowder weaponry)Development of UniversitiesSome social mobility for peasants (guild, merchants)Use of local vernacular ( French,Italian,German etc.)

Religious conflict (from anti-semitism to continual conflict with the Muslim world)Feudalism persistsManorialism persistsMore people still live in rural communitiesRoman Catholic Church still incredbly influental ( sacraments, excommunication, tithing, Papal infallability)Wars persisted ( from feudalism to 100 years)Farming still a mainstaySocial inequalities persistedSerfdom persistedWestern Europe (except for Iberia) still a backwaters and centuries behind the “East”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

THE CENTER MOVES AWAY FROM ROME NORTHWARDCOMPARD TO THE REST OF THE WORLD EUROPE WAS PRIMITIVEMUSLIMS SCORNED THEM AS ‘BARBARIANS’THIS HELPS EXPLAINS SOME OF THE CONFLICTS WITH ISLAM

EUROPE BEGAN TO GROW AGAINPOPULATIONS ROSENEW TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPEDWATER DRIVEN MILLS, IRON CASTINGCHRISTIANITY BECAME THE DOMINANT FAITH, CENTERD IN THE ROMAN CHURCH

THE CHRUCH WAS THE CENTER OF LIFE THE FOCUS WAS ATTAINING SALVATIONLEARNING WAS RESTRICTED TO THE CLERGY IN GENERAL

ITALY WAS A FRAGMENTED WEAK AREA- ROME HAD BEEN SACKEDTHE WEST REMAINED VUNERABLE TO INVASIONS- VIKINGS, OVERALL, FOR 500 YEARS WESTERN CULTURE DID NOT ADVANCE AS FAST AS THE REST OF THE WORLD

THE MANORIAL SYSTEMMANORIALISM IS AN ECONOMIC SYSTEMSTARTED IN THE LATE ROMAN EMPIRE TO INCREASE AGRICULTURESERF- PEASANT LEGALLY TIED TO THE LANDLORDS OWNED THE LAND

SOME ADVANCESOLD PLOWS REPLACED WITH MOLDBOARDS- CURVED IRON PLOWSTHE THREE-FIELD SYSTEM INCREASES PRODUCTION

IN THE NEW TOWNS LEARNING INCREASES, UNIVERSITIES GET THEIR STARTTHEY STUDY THEOLOGY, LAW, MEDICINETHEY BENEFITTED FROM PRESERVED ROMAN AND GREEK WORKS

FEUDALISM, MONARCHIES, LIMITED GOVERNMENT

FEUDALISM IS A POLITICAL SYSTEMIT’S BASED ON MILITARY ALLIANCESRULERS GAVE LAND IN EXCHANGE FOR SOLDIERS- A FIEFLORDS CONTROL VASSALSYOU CAN BE BOTH A LORD TO SOME, A VASSAL TO SOMEONE ELSE

IT GETS IT START IN FRANCEIN 1066 IT’S BROUGHT TO ENGLAND WITH WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR AT THE BATTLE OF HASTINGSTHE GROWTH OF FEUDAL SOCIETIES MIRRORED THE SAME SYSTEM IN PLACE IN CHINA

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NOT ALL OF EUROPE HAD STRONG SYSTEMSNORTHERN GERMANY, THE LOW COUNTRIES, AND ITALY REMAINED FRAGMENTED AND WEAK1215* IN ENGLAND THE MAGNA CARTA BEGAN LIMITING ROYAL POWERPARLIAMENTS START IN EUROPE- VERY LIMITED IN POWER

IN GENERAL MOST PEOPLE HAD LIMITED RIGHTSIT WAS A BEGINNING TO LATER GOVT’S POWER STRUCTURESTHEY WERE LOOKING FOR A BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN LORDS AND VASSALS

THE 100 YEARS WAR

FOUGHT BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLANDDUAL CLAIMS TO BOTH THRONESJOAN OF ARC SAVES FRANCEMEDIEVAL WARFARE CHANGES FOR GOOD

THE WEST EXPANDS

EUROPE WAS EXPANDING, GROWINGTHE CRUSADESCALLED FOR BY POPE URBAN II “GOD WILLS IT!”THEY STIMULATE TRADE, INTEREST IN LEARNING, NEW TECHNOLOGY

THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES

THE 12TH AND 13TH CENTURIES

THEOLOGYTHE CHURCH RELIED ON ANCIENT LEARNING- ARISTOTLEFAITH WAS SUPREME OVER REASONAS SCHOLARS TRANSLATED ANCIENT TEXTS,LEARNING INCREASEDPEOPLE VENERATED SAINTS,WENT TO CHURCH, BUT MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION STILL REMAINED ALIVE

ST THOMAS AQUINASSCHOLASTICISM

ART

ART REMAINED CENTERED ON SALVATION AND THEMES OF RELIGIOUS FAITHCATHEDRALS BECOME GIANT CENTERS OF FAITH AND WORSHIP

TRADE AND TOWNSMORE PEASANTS ARE GAINING FREEDOMTOWNS GROWING LARGER BASED ON TRADE STARTED BY THE CRUSADESBANKING BEGINS- ALLIANCES SUCH AS THE HANSEATIC LEAGUECAPITALISM STARTS, COMMERCE IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED, COMPARED TO OTHER SOCIETIES

SOCIETY CHANGES

LORDS LOSE THEIR MONOLPOLY ON MAKING WARARISTOCRATS IN EUROPE BECOME MORE CULTURED, EDUCATEDTHE CHURCH LOSES POWER OVER GOVERNMENTSPEOPLE LOOK OUTSIDE THE CHURCH FOR LIFE’S ANSWERS

IN COMPARISON TO ASIA AND SOUTH ASIA EUROPE REMAINED BACKWARDS, BUT THEY WERE MOVING FORWARDIN POLITICS KINGS POWER GREWMONEY BEGAN TO TAKE HOLD IN TRADE

ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY WERE IN COMPETITION IN MANY AREASGOVERNMENTS CENTRALIZED LIKE IN CHINAEUROPE WAS TRANSFORMING ITSELF FROM SMALL STATES TO LARGE UNIFIED NATIONS

Thesis W Europe COTWestern Europe from 600-1450 oversaw a vast transformation from virtually primitive economic isolationism to engaging in a commercial revolution, learning would be renewed in the establishment of markets (cities ) and universities, however the Catholic church would still hold tremendous sway over the daily lives of people.

Western Europe from 600-1450 would still maintain their feudal bonds albeit kingdoms would become more centralized and the church would still be the authority on spiritual and literacy, however the birth of guilds would facilitate a greater trading force throughout Western Europe and enhance their global economic ties.