MIDDLE AGES STUDY GUIDE Notes from this guide

MIDDLE AGES STUDY GUIDE Notes from this guide will be used to create your test! Please take good notes.

When did the Middle Ages happen? • The Middle Ages began sometime around 500 AD, and ended around 1500 AD. That’s a long time – about 1, 000 years! Where did the Middle Ages happen? • The events we usually think of as belonging to the Middle Ages happened in Europe.

The continent of Europe • A huge peninsula with many smaller peninsulas branching out from it. • Most land lies within 300 miles of a seacoast. Oceans, Seas, and Rivers • Provided transportation • Made it easier to trade • Separated some areas • Provided protection

Rivers of Europe • • Po Seine Danube Rhine Mountains of Europe • Pyrenees • Alps • Carpathian

What happened during the Middle Ages? The answer to that question could fill up books, but here a few of the happenings of the Middle Ages… • People were organized into a system called Feudalism • Knights in shining armor • Damsels in Distress • Castles with Moats • The Black Death (Plague)

Who lived during the Middle Ages? Kings, Lords and Ladies, Knights, Monks and Nuns, Peasants, and Serfs Feudalism: Feudalism was a way to organize society without a central government during the Middle Ages. People belonged to a rank in society and had a role to play.

Why was it called the Middle Ages? The Middle Ages seems to have gotten its name because it is sandwiched in between two time periods known for making great advances. • Before the Middle Ages – Roman Empire Middle Ages!!! • After the Middle Ages – Renaissance

Feudal Society If you could choose to be one of the following roles in feudal society, which would you choose and why? Give specific supporting details. You must write a minimum of 10 sentences. FREEMEN

Duties of Monks During the Middle Ages • to become missionaries and spread Christianity • to build churches • to teach • to help the poor and sick • to copy important papers and books

FREEMAN • paid nobles for the right to farm land • had rights under the law • could move when and where they wished

SERFS • could not own property or go to court • could not leave or marry without permission • had to give part of their crops to their lord • at first could not buy Freedom

RULES OF CHIVALRY • Be brave • Obey your lord • Respect women of noble birth • Honor the Church • Help people in need

New inventions made farming better. • The most important was a heavy-wheeled plow with an iron blade. • The horse collar let a horse pull a plow. Horses could pull plows much faster than oxen, so peasants could plant more crops and grow more food. • In addition, peasants learned to rotate their crops. They planted only two of their three fields at a time. This kept the soil healthy, and more food could be grown.

RISE OF TOWNS Cause-Roman Empire fell. Effect • Roads and bridges were not repaired. • People bartered for goods. • People stopped traveling and trading. Cause-Nobles fixed roads and enforced laws. Effect • Trade began again. Cities grew. People used money again and grew wealthy.

PLAGUE Causes of the Plague • fleas carried bacteria or germs • rats carried fleas on ships and caravans • trade routes spread rats and fleas around the world Effects of the Plague • Population decreased. • Wages went up because there were fewer workers. • Trade slowed. • Food prices fell because fewer people meant less demand. • Serfs gained more rights. • Feudalism weakened.

v. The king had absolute authority in military matters v. He always made sure that the lords and knights were happy, otherwise they could rally against him v. There were a lot of Kingdoms in Europe and sometimes they went to war against each other. v. There were all kinds of ranks from surfs ( which was the lowest rank, all the way to the kings ( which was the highest rank) v. The King enjoyed a higher standard of living than other nobles.

I’m sure your all wondering, why were kings important in feudal society? Well, they were kind of like the one who made sure that everyone was doing their job. The king was really just an important lord. He issued land to the lords who in turn pledged loyalty to him. They contributed money and goods to the kingdom. He made major decisions and settled disputes among his lords.

1. A King rules a certain amount of land protects it. 2. A kings power is limited. 3. The size of the kings land is how much power the king has. 4. Lords supply the king with things the king needs. 5. The king needs people that can read and write and those people were really rare back then.

• • Horses, cattle, and sheep Gold Grain Scribes Iron craftsmen Blacksmiths Warriors

In feudalism a lords rank had control over a portion of land. They were in charge of the produce and labor of the serfs. The serf would swear the oath of loyalty to the lord. In turn, the lord would have sworn an oath of loyalty to the King. A portion of all goods produced on the lords land would go to the King.

• Landowners • Workers of The King • Protector • The daily life of nobles started at dawn • Lords and nobles would attend to business matters in relation to his land. • Reporters would be heard regarding estate crops, harvest, and supplies. • Finances –rents, taxes, customs, and dues. • The Lord would also be expected to exercise his judicial powers over his vassals and peasants

Marriage, household, rights, taught, power. Girls at the age six to seven years could be engaged to a fifty or sixty year old man and could not choose their husband. Women would take care of the home and the children. Women had no rights but their husband did and gave his wife a little bit of power. Ladies were taught to sew, cook, read, sing songs in Latin, write in Latin, have children, to care for them, and other feminine things. When their husband died they got one third of the estate.

Ladies roles were very important in feudal society. We took care of the children. We took care of the house by cleaning, and cooking. We gave birth to all the children. We entertained guests. When our husbands (the lords) went away, we were in charge.

Education- At age 7, boys began training. They were called pages. At age 15, they became squires. Then, the squires became knights. All pages, squires, and knights had to follow the Code of Chivalry. Parties- After a tournament, knights threw huge parties.

The Code Of Chivalry was like the behavior manual of knighthood. It is like the code of conduct of the 1400’s. It says that all knights must be brave in battle. It also said that the knights must keep promises and defend the churches. Weaponry- The knights had a variety of weapons. Some of these were swords, trebuchets, and even spears. Trebuchets were giant catapults. Defense- Knights used a variety of defense tools as well. A suit of armor included a shield, helmet, chain body, and plate legs.

• Monks dress in brown robes tied at the waist with ropes. • A monk is a man who has chosen to devote his life to a certain discipline of prayer. • Vow of poverty This meant he had to give up all his worldly goods. • Vow of chastity This meant he had to stay single. • Vow of obedience This meant he had to obey the church and the rules of the monastery.

Why were Monks important to Feudal Society? Monks were required to perform manual labor and were forbidden to own property, leave the monastery, or become involved in concerns of society. Their daily tasks were usually carried out in silence. Monks usually took care of the less fortunate members of the community or village. They would also teach the people of the village to read and write. They were well educated and could usually read and write in Latin. Many monks devoted themselves to learning. Some of the first encyclopedias were written by monks and then copied over by hand. Their three main jobs were work, study, and prayer.

The five facts about nuns • Although monks and nuns lived away from village life they did interact with other people. • Most nuns had a far more active life than the monks • Nuns had to take three vows: 1. vow of poverty 2. vow of chastity 3. vow of obedience • They taught needle work and the use of herbs to noble women. • Nuns wore a gown , a veil, and a wimple.

Why are nuns important in the feudal society? We are important in the feudal society because we can bring religion into our kingdom or the convent. The nuns are important because they can teach how to do needle work. They could also teach the use of herbs to people. The nuns were nice people. They took care of sick and needy people. Nuns prayed but they also spent time weaving, spinning, and teaching.

• Peasants were free to leave their manor whenever we pleased, unlike serfs, but where would they go. War was going on everywhere. • Peasants were simple farmers that worked for a lord. They worked the fields in exchange for protection from their lord. • They were allowed to own their own business or have their own special garden. And they also had to set aside a certain number of days to work on or repair stuff on the lord’s manor. • Most Peasants escaped to join the church. • Peasants mostly lived their lives like serfs. Cathy Stephens & Preston Eaton

Peasants are important because if the lord didn’t have peasants, there would be no crops. No beans, no corn, no anything. If there weren’t any peasants nobody would have servants. That would probably be hard for the rich who don’t think they should do any work. Peasants are very important to society, they do all the work.

• The serfs were the lowest ranking in the Feudal Society. • They also couldn’t leave their lord’s land. If they did, they were beaten or punished. • Males worked in the fields most of the time. • The serfs woke up at the break of dawn to start a long day of work. • Men were obligated to work part of the time for the lord of the manor.

• Without serfs, there would be less food in the society. • This would cause a lack of food, and should a siege occur, the people would die of starvation. • If there were no serfs, the lords would have to do all of the work for themselves. • No serfs would create an unequal balance in the society.