Emerging from the Middle Ages The Renaissance Emerging from the Middle Ages

In the feudal structure of the Middle Ages, the nobles who lived in the country provided the king with protection in exchange for land. Peasants worked the land for the nobles, for which they received protection and their own small parcels of land.

These rural peasants worked from sunup to sundown, but even the nobles had few creature comforts. In feudal cities, where there was a small middle-class population, life was a little easier and individuals had the freedom to pursue whatever trade or industry they liked.

In the late Middle Ages, when the threat of invasion from barbarians had lessened, people left the country for towns and cities so they could engage in more profitable pursuits. Sounds pretty good, right?

Why do/did people look down on the Middle Ages?

Why do/did people look down on the Middle Ages? Backward (low tech) Superstitions People were uneducated Lawlessness No strong government Coinage, military, etc.

Why do/did people look down on the Middle Ages? Is that a fair assessment? What do you know of the Middle Ages?

The High Middle Ages: 800-1300 Thriving intellectual life Standardization of Church Practice and Architecture New Political and Economic Arrangements Absolute Christendom Breakdown of centralized power Attacks by non-Christian civilizations Church intertwined with state, social, economic and military activity

MEDIEVAL LIFE FEUDALISM: POLITICAL SYSTEM Cooperation and Mutual Obligations FEUDALISM: POLITICAL SYSTEM Decentralized, local government Dependent upon the relationship between members of the nobility Lord and his vassals administered justice and were the highest authority in their land MANORIALISM: ECONOMIC SYSTEM Agriculture the basis for wealth Lands divided up into self-sufficient manors Peasants (serfs) worked the land and paid rent In exchange for protection Barter the usual form of exchange KING LORDS (VASSALS TO KING) KNIGHTS (VASSALS TO LORDS) Fief and Peasants Military Aid Food Protection Shelter Food Protection Shelter PEASANTS (SERFS) Pay Rent Farm the Land Homage Military Service Loyalty

The Lord of the Manor For safety and defense, people in the Middle Ages formed small communities around a central lord or master.

The Manor Most people lived on a manor, which consisted of the castle (or manor house), the church, the village, and the surrounding farm land.

Self-Sufficiency Each manor was largely self-sufficient, growing or producing all of the basic items needed for food, clothing, and shelter. To meet these needs, the manor had buildings devoted to special purposes, such as: The mill for grinding grain The bake house for making bread The blacksmith shop for creating metal goods.

Isolation These manors were isolated, with occasional visits from peddlers, pilgrims on their way to the Crusades, or soldiers from other fiefdoms.

The Feudal System Under the feudal system, the king awarded land grants or fiefs to his most important nobles, barons, and bishops, in return for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies.

Nobles and Vassals Nobles divided their land among the lesser nobility, who became their vassals. Many of these vassals became so powerful that the kings had difficulty controlling them.

The Peasants At the lowest level of society were the peasants, also called serfs or villeins. The lord offered his peasants protection in exchange for living and working on his land.

Hard Work & High Taxes Peasants worked hard to cultivate the land and produce the goods that the lord and his manor needed. They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of what they harvested.

Bound by law and custom… It is the custom in England, as with other countries, for the nobility to have great power over the common people, who are serfs. This means that they are bound by law and custom to plough the field of their masters, harvest the corn, gather it into barns, and thresh and winnow the grain; they must also mow and carry home the hay, cut and collect wood, and perform all manner of tasks of this kind. -- Jean Froissart, 1395 

Women: Household Chores Whether they were nobles or peasants, women held a difficult position in society. They were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning.

Bishops Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called dioceses. Many times, they were part of the feudal system and in exchange for a fief and peasants had to provide homage and military aid to a liege lord.

Parish Priests Parish priests, on the other hand, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village

So what happened to change all of this?

So what happened to change all of this? Crusades Goods and knowledge brought back from East. Plague Disrupted the social order and turned everything upside down

The Plague Life in the city was soon to change drastically. During the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance (1350-1450) the bubonic plague, also called the "Black Death," devastated one half of the population of Europe. The plague, which was almost always fatal, spread most rapidly in cities, where people were in close contact with each other.

The Plague The only way to avoid the disease was to leave the city for the country. This solution was, unfortunately, available only to those wealthy enough to make the trip.

The Plague The population decrease caused by the plague led to an economic depression. Merchants and tradespeople had fewer people to whom they could sell their wares. Products therefore accumulated, and the merchants and traders suffered a loss in income.

The Plague Children were orphaned and families were destroyed. Ring around the rosie Macabre art