1. Chpt 1 – Times of Change
SS8 – Brotto

2. Unit 1: Renaissance Europe
Chapter 1: Times of Change

3. Vocabulary Journeyman Feudalism Sumptuary Laws Hierarchy Black Death
Noble
Tithe
Guilds
Monastic
Renaissance
Feudalism
Hierarchy
Allegiance
Manors
Freeman
Serfs
Monastery

4. The “Dark Ages”
Medieval Europe – AKA the Middle Ages – AKA the Dark Ages
Called the Dark Ages due to poverty, illness, lack of education, and hardships
However, while in Europe we see the transformation from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, the whole world was not “in the dark”
North Africa, Middle East, China, India

5. Middle Ages (5th- 15th Century)
During the Middle Ages, much of European society was organized in a system called Feudalism.
Feudalism was:
Hierarchy where people were ranked one above the other according to their importance
People were born into a level and expected to stay that level for their entire lives
Feudalism was based on land, loyalty and duty
Nobles or Knights swore oaths of allegiance to the King and promised to fight for him in exchange for land
Church owned land and therefore was very powerful and important to medieval people

7. Why Feudalism?
Middle ages began with fall of the Holy Roman Empire (476)
Attacks by Barbarians (Mongols, Vikings, etc.)
No longer safety of Empire
War between newly broken up countries
What had the HRE provided? Safety in numbers…same purpose of Feudal System
The Lord of the Manor would protect those working on his land, in exchange for labour
Castles

8. Medieval Country Life Most people in the Middle Ages were peasants
Peasants were assigned strips of land to harvest
They lived in rural villages on a manor (piece of land)
In exchange for the use of the land, the peasants turn over a portion of what they produced to noble or Knight (the lord of the manor)
Expected to build roads, clear forests and do other work the lord ordered
Men, women and children worked from sunrise to sunset
Peasants were illiterate and uneducated
Some peasants were Freemen – rented or worked land for pay
Most were Serfs – Not allowed to leave land

9. The Manorial System (Feudalism)
Pros
Cons

10. Town Life Most medieval towns were centres for farm communities
Generally close to a castle or monastery
Stone walls often were built around the town to protect it from rival cities and lords
Towns were dirty, crowded and rat-infested but they offered freedom
People had the freedom to marry who they wished and make money as they could
A peasant could open a shop and unskilled peasants could learn a trade
Cooperative organizations = Guilds

11. Guilds
Production of goods and trade in towns was organized by cooperative organizations called “guilds.”
Controlled price, set standards of quality and decided who could train or apprentice
Children as young as 8 or 9 would go live with a master and learn a trade
Would take care of member/family in case of illness or accident
APPRENTICE  JOURNEYMAN  MASTER

12. On your own… Turn to page 23 in your textbook
Read “Zoom In: What was the role of women in medieval society?”
Write your own notes for the section, based on the information you read
ONLY key information
POINT FORM
DO NOT copy word-for-word

13. Challenges to the Feudal System
The Feudal System lasted for hundreds of years but eventually began to weaken and finally disappeared altogether
In 1337 = the start of the “Hundred Years War” between England and France
peasants in both countries revolted because of high rents and taxes they had to pay to finance the war
The Black Death saw the death of millions between 1346 and 1350
Outbreaks continued for the next several hundred years = severe labour shortages and many feudal estates and manors went bankrupt
Nobles began to rent or sell land to serfs who were released from their obligations to the lord.
The bonds that held feudal society together eventually came undone
Peasants had some options, they could stay and work or move to the towns

15. Time and Money
As towns grew and life on the manor changed, money came into use more and people began to think of time differently
On medieval manors people activities were ruled by the sun and seasons and knowing the exact time did not matter
As shop keepers and merchants in towns became more dependent on time clocks were developed

16. Wealth in Society With the rise of towns society became less rigid
By acquiring wealth and skills people had opportunity to move from one social level to another and a new social structure began to emerge
A new middle class emerged based on money rather than ownership of land and they were eager to buy goods and people became more interested in material possessions.

17. Over to you:
People in medieval times were not travellers. Most families lived in the same area for many generations.
Describe how this might affect someone’s worldview.
How do you think travelling to a new community might affect your worldview today?
How does communication technology affect someone’s worldview today?

18. Create groups of 6 people Create three Venn Diagrams:
One that compares and contrasts rural and urban life during medieval times.(2 group members)
One that compares and contrasts rural life during medieval time and modern times.( 2 group members)
On that compares and contrasts urban life during medieval times and modern times.(2 group members)
Share and Discuss within your groups

19. A Religious Society
What happens when an epidemic like the Black Death breaks out?
We turn to medical experts and try to stop it from spreading
Scientists try to find causes and cures
Things were much different at the beginning of the Renaissance
No one knew how to treat it
Many thought the plague had been sent by God as a punishment
When prayers and visits to Holy sites did not work, some people began to question their faith
Becoming more critical of the Church was a step of change that would lead to the Renaissance

20. At this time, religion was a central part of people’s daily lives.
The worldview of the people in Western Europe was shaped by the Christian Church
Life in Medieval times was hard: sickness, famine and war were a constant threat.
As a result, the hope for a better life after death was very important
People believed that with the help of the church they would be able to reach heaven after they died.

21. The Church Community
Every group in the Church hierarchy had a duty to be obedient to the group above and provide certain services to the group below.
Priest performed religious services for members of their congregation.
Members of the congregation had a duty to obey the rules of the Church and pay him a tithe (a portion of their crops or earnings).

23. The Monastic Life
Many people during this time period would decide to devote their entire life to God
Men became monks and women became nuns
They spent their lives studying religious texts, praying and working for the church, educating children and caring for the sick/hungry
Many monks/nuns died as a result of caring for the victims of the Plague
Since monks/nuns were well educated, monasteries became centres of learning
Copying of religious texts and ancient Latin/Greek manuscripts greatly contributed to the Renaissance