Section 3 Chapter 1

The Viking Explorations  The Vikings were from Scandinavia– this includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden  The curved ends of the Viking ships made them better for the rough North Atlantic  They raided and traded through out Europe  Much of what we know about the Vikings comes from sagas (Viking stories)

The Viking Explorations  Leif Eriksson gathered a crew in about A.D and reached North America, landing on the island of Newfoundland (first European contact with North America)  Eriksson settled at an area called Vinland but left after a few years  Their main reason for leaving was Native attacks

The Middle Ages  The Middle Ages in Europe begins as the Roman Empire ends in the late A.D. 300s  The time period is roughly from A.D. 500 to 1500  Trade and communication during this time were limited and populations of cities fell

The Middle Ages  Feudalism emerged during this time period  Vassals would pledge their loyalty to a lord in exchange for land  Lords needed money to equip and feed knights that defended their manor (large estate)

The Middle Ages  Peasants were free tenants or serfs that farmed the land  Tenants rented their land while serfs lived on the land for free both were loyal to the lord in exchange for his protection

Life on the Manor  Lords and their families lived in large wooden or stone houses or castles  Noblemen spent their time ruling, fighting in battle, and managing their farmland  Noblemen and Noblewomen spent a large amount of time carrying out duties as Christians  Eleanor of Aquitaine was described as the ideal noblewomen as “beautiful yet virtuous (moral), powerful yet gentle, humble yet keenwitted (intelligent)  As a peasant the whole family lived, ate, and slept in the same room  Under feudalism a person’s birth usually determined their place in society

The Catholic Church  The Catholic Church was the center of religious and social life in the Middle Ages  Most Europeans during this time were Roman Catholic  By the 800s, the Church owned large amounts of land and advised rulers on important decisions  Many art and achitecture projects were paid for by the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church  Monasteries were important because they housed monks who gave up all personal possessions and created centers of learning and produced books  Though Monasteries themselves had vast lands

The Catholic Church  Convents allowed the same thing for women who would then become nuns  Women would sometimes choose this life instead of marriage and child-rearing  Convents did allow women to become educated which did not happen any where else

The Rise of Nations  During the mid and late Middle Ages some nobles were losing power to kingdoms  William of Normandy conquered England in 1066 and made it into one of the kingdoms in the world  He then surveyed the kingdom and put together the “Domesday Book” or Day of Judgement Book for taxes

The Rise of Nations  In 1215 the nobles rebelled against William’s great-great- grandson King John and made him sign the Magna Carta (Great Charter)  It was the first document that protected free people from the King

The Rise of Nations  In the early 1200s trade greatly increased and Italian Merchants began to trade with nations around the Mediterranean Sea and northern Europe  This marked the beginning of the Renaissance, a rebirth of arts and learning of ancient Greece and Rome

The Rise of Nations  Farming changed during this time as farmers learned to rotate crops, fertilize crops, and new technology lead to a greater output for farmers  This lead to rise in population in towns and cities  With this growth of technology, trade, and kingdoms– the 1500s marked the ending of the Middle Ages