The Middle Ages AKA The Medieval Period (ish)

Began in October 1066 when William the Conqueror crossed the English Channel from Normandy

and invaded Hastings in southern England

William was the illegitimate son of Edward the Confessor’s cousin, the Duke of Normandy (a county in Northern France)

And he claimed his uncle Edward had promised him the throne.

William invaded to claim the throne he felt he had been promised.

William merged the Anglo-Saxon and Norman cultures Anglo-Saxon Norman

William wanted to rule, not Conquer, but he had to reward those loyal to him… So he suppressed the Anglo-Saxon nobility, confiscated their lands,

and gave it to his Norman followers. PudneyDeMourney

William inventoried all of England

To make sure he got every penny of owed tax.

The Normans n Conducted business in Norman French or Latin n Remade England along feudal lines, bringing Feudalism to England

Feudalism n A social system n A caste system n A military system n A property system

Feudalism n Exchanges property for personal service n King, who ‘owns’ land, parcels it out to supporters, along with titles and privileges n Each vassal paid his overlord taxes or fees and supplied a specified number of knights

n Knights received smaller parcels of land, manors n The lowest social class were peasants, or serfs, who worked the manors n Feudalism was held together by honor and loyalty

Feudal Structure King Baron Lesser Baron Landless knights and serfs

If a vassal chose not to honor his obligations to his overlord, the result was Battle.

Knighthood and Chivalry It was the primary duty of all males above the serf class to be trained to be a knight.

After a boy completed years of training, in a home other than his own... He would be “dubbed” a knight, given the title, “sir” and all rights of the warrior caste.

Knighthood was grounded in the idea of extreme loyalty and a knight was bound to certain codes of honor that forced him act in a certain manner - even if it would result in his certain death.

Knights had to adhere to strict codes of honor… Such as never attacking an unarmed opponent

Chivalry was a system of social codes that governed the behavior of knights...and ladies.

And, in addition, adoring a particular lady was seen as a means of self-improvement. Revering and acting in the name of a lady would make a knight braver and better.

At the very bottom of the feudalistic society was the serf... Who was not even free to leave the land he tilled.

Video Break n 10:Castles, Manors, Feudalism n 11: Norman Conquest

Normans Lose Control n Henry Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (a French county, south of Normandy), came to the throne as Henry II in 1154 n Henry II was the king who appointed Thomas a Becket to the position of archbishop and, inadvertently, had him killed

Major events of The Medieval Period Include….

In 1215, English barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta... Establishing the foundation of democracy by taking power from the church and king and giving it to the people.

The Wars of the Roses ( ) In 1399, the House of Lancaster replaced the Plantagenets on the throne In 1399, the House of Lancaster replaced the Plantagenets on the throne Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI (written about by Shakespeare) Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI (written about by Shakespeare) House of York protested Lancastrian rule House of York protested Lancastrian rule Henry Tudor, distant Lancastrian cousin, killed Yorkist king Richard III in battle Henry Tudor, distant Lancastrian cousin, killed Yorkist king Richard III in battle Henry, crowned Henry VII, married Richard’s niece and ended war Henry, crowned Henry VII, married Richard’s niece and ended war

The emergence of cities as the population increased… And a merchant class not reliant on overlords to make a living.

Hence, the three largest groups of people became The clergy, the knights, and the laborers. This led to a new class of people: the middle class.

For the first time, the ‘arts’ took on everyday people as their subjects, rather than focusing on the lives of the lords their ladies.

Women, however, still had no political power. Her husband or father’s social standing determined a woman’s status.

Crusades to the Holy Lands …. Brought contact with more advanced, civilizations.

The murder of Thomas a Becket brought about the fall of the church’s power And corruption became the rule of the day for the church clergy.

The church, however, remained the center for learning and fostered cultural unity.

Their faith in the church evident, Medieval people made pilgrimages to Canturbury, the site of Thomas a Becket’s murder.

The Hundred Year’s war ( ) developed a British natural consciousness and destroyed any remaining links with France.

Longbow wielding landowners won this war for England, armour piercing arrows making the yeoman the new symbol of England, supplanting the armour-clad knight.

Finally, as the period came to an end, the Black Death (1348)- caused the downfall of feudalism completely as the lack of workers gave the common man more power in dealing with the aristocracy.

Black Death Massive labor shortage Massive labor shortage Landowners began paying workers Landowners began paying workers Peasants’ Revolt about discriminatory laws and taxes Peasants’ Revolt about discriminatory laws and taxes Eventually, free peasantry replaced serfs of the Middle Ages Eventually, free peasantry replaced serfs of the Middle Ages

Medieval/Middle Ages n Between classical period (Greek, Roman accomplishments) and modern (Renaissance) Term was coined after the time period Peak of literature Peak of feudalism By the end of this time period, feudalism breaks down. Middle class emerges.

Decisions, Decisions