World Civilizations A Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Elam The Dark & Middle Ages World Civilizations A Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Elam

Pre-Assessment! Quiz KWL Chart

The Dark & Middle Ages What will we be talking about? Feudalism The culture The Plague What is going on around the world

The Dark & Middle Ages Where in the world are we?

The Dark & Middle Ages When did all of this happen? The Roman Empire Ancient Greece 800 BC to 500 BC The Roman Empire 27 BC to 476 AD The Dark & Middle Ages 476AD to about 1400 AD The Renaissance Begins About 1400 The Early Middle Ages or Dark Ages 476 AD to 1000AD The High Middle Ages 1000 AD to 1300 AD The Late Middle Ages 1300 AD to 1400 AD

The Dark & Middle Ages The Middle Ages refers to the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance Generally thought of as a time that was “unenlightened” All work that was done was to better the King and Queen

King Charlemagne King Charlemagne or Charles the Great Born 742 AD Became King of the Franks (a Germanic tribe in present day France) at the age of 26 Ruled after the fall of the Roman Empire; built his empire more than 800 miles from east to west Set up schools throughout his empire and invited scholars from all over Europe to establish a palace school in Aachen, the capital of his kingdom Ushered in the Carolingian renaissance (not the renaissance we always hear about)

King Charlemagne Charles the Great also sought to unite all Germanic tribes into a single kingdom Appointed native members of the lands he conquered to administer the provinces in his name This led to the beginnings of the feudal system or feudalism

William the Conqueror The basic premise of feudalism was created by Charlemagne, but it was officially put into place by William the Conqueror. William the Conqueror, or William I, was born around 1028 AD. Was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy. His father died when he was 8 years old, leaving him with the title of duke of Normandy. After the Battle of Hastings, he was crowned King of England. Died September 9, 1087 AD.

In Europe, there was so much land that it was difficult for one person to rule such a big area. In exchange for loyalty, a king often granted an estate, called a fief, to a noble. The nobles then constructed large estates on their fiefs called manors. This system of loyalties and protections is known as “feudalism”, a term derived from the word “fief.”

The nobles and their families often lived in a castle The nobles and their families often lived in a castle. These castles were not like castles we think of, but were rather built for protection and did not always look pretty. Castles were built for protection, and when a village was under attack, people would retreat to the castle for protection.

The nobles pledged to train knights, or vassals The nobles pledged to train knights, or vassals. Knights would fight on horseback. This was a moving target that was difficult for an enemy to catch. Knights provided protection and military service.

Knights would then provide land for peasants and serfs Knights would then provide land for peasants and serfs. A serf was a person who belonged to a low social class and who lived and worked on land owned by another person for a specific amount of time. Peasants and serfs would provide food and services for the knights. They provided these goods and services in exchange for protection from invading armies.

Serfs were bound to the land they worked Serfs were bound to the land they worked. They were not allowed to marry without permission fro the nobles or lords. Serfs were encouraged to have children so there would be more hands to work in the fields. Because of the limitations put on peasants and serfs, there was no mobility up the social ladder. Descendants would likely work the land for generations after the initial serfs had passed.

Peasant Serf Serfs and Peasants: What’s the Difference? Poor farmers Bound to the land and worked for the Lord’s or Noble’s Some peasants owned the land they worked on Did not own land they worked on Were not bound to the land Bound to the land and could not leave without Lord’s or Noble’s permission

An important fact to remember is that serfs and slaves are not the same. Serfs are bound to the land, but are not the property of the landowner. Slaves are considered property. Slaves can be sold, while serfs cannot be sold.

Provides money and knights Grants land to Nobles Provides protection and military service Knights Provides food and services when demanded Peasants and Serfs