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

2. Pre-Assessment!
Quiz
KWL Chart

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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.”

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.

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