1. Explorers Reach the Americas
Chapter 3
Explorers Reach the Americas

2. A Changing Europe
Europe in the Middle Ages

3. Who Are We?
William Shakespeare
Leif Eriksson
Marco Polo

4. Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo

5. The Norse in North America
Vinland Settlement
Norse sailor Leif Eriksson discovers Vinland, convinces Norse to settle there.
In 1009, 100 settlers land in Vinland
Stay for 5 years
Leave due to conflict with Native Americans

6. B. Remembering the Norse
No written records
1960 – found traces of settlement on Newfoundland.
Remember the Norse!

7. Europe and the Middle Ages
Began with fall of Roman Empire in 476
Europe breaks into hundreds of small kingdoms

8. Lordss of each kingdom oversaw serfs who worked his land
Monarch
Lords
Knights
Serfs
The Feudal System
Lordss of each kingdom oversaw serfs who worked his land
Lords provided serfs with food, housing, and protection

9. Decline of the Feudal System
Around 1000 the feudal system begins to decline
Peasants want more freedom, so they move to towns
New Middle Class
Growth of towns form middle class
Middle class focused on business and trade
Ruling class focused on land and farming

10. Crusades to the Holy Land
Religious wars fought in Palestine
Palestine was the Holy Land for Christians and Muslims (Jerusalem Holy City for both)
1071 – Turkish Muslims take over Jerusalem and close it to all Christians. Catholics outraged
1096 – 1270 Christians fight in Crusades (wars)
Crusaders come back with riches and ideas from Muslim markets in Southwest Asia
Europeans want to buy these products

11. A Rebirth of Learning
Marco Polo’s book Description of the World makes people curious about the world
Renaissance – mid 1300s to 1600
Renewed interest in learning and knowledge
Artists paint more realistically (da Vinci, Michelangelo)
Shakespeare – poems and plays
Experimented using new scientific instruments (human body, planets, etc.)