1. Outcome: The power of the Church
The Middle Ages
Outcome: The power of the Church

2. Constructive Response Questions
What led to the rise of Feudalism?
What was the role of The Church during the Middle Ages?

3. The New Agriculture Population in Europe doubled between 1000-1300.
Food production increased because of:
Increased stability and peace
Climate changes which improved growing conditions
More land was cleared for cultivation.
Technological advances:
Water and wind power
The use of iron to make scythes, axes, hoes, saws, hammers, and nails.
The iron carruca, a heavy, wheeled plow with an iron plowshare pulled by animal teams.

4. Growth of Farming Villages
Crop Rotation: shift from 2-field to 3-field system of crop rotation.

6. The Manorial System Social Hierarchy:
Medieval landholding nobles: Knights (needed time to train for war).
Peasants : worked the lords’ manors on the fiefs (land) of the vassals.
Serfs: Peasants legally bound to the land.
By 800, probably 60% of western Europeans were serfs.
Land Usage
Up to one-half of a manor’s lands typically belonged to the lord.
Serfs paid rent by giving a share of what they raised for themselves.
They also paid to use the lord’s pastures and fishing ponds, and paid for services like having their grain milled into flour.
Obligations and Rights
The serfs obligated to tithe to the village church (usually 10% of produce).
Serfs, however, were not slaves.

8. Daily Life of the Peasantry
Homes
European peasant life was simple with little privacy.
The peasants’ one or two-room cottages were built with wood frames surrounded by sticks.
Spaces in between filled with Straw and rubble and plastered over with clay.

9. Seasonal life
The seasons largely determined peasant life and work.
Holidays
A peasant’s life was not all labor because of the numerous Catholic feast days, or holidays.
More than 50 days a year were essentially holidays.
Church
The village church was a crucial part of the manorial system.
Probably they saw God as a force to be appeased to help with the harvest.
Women
Women worked the fields and had children.

10. Diet
The staple was bread baked in community ovens.
Peasants usually ate meat only on feast days such as Easter and Christmas.
Peasants raised vegetables and fruit, and made cheese.
Grains were important also for making ale, the most common drink of the poor in Northern Europe.

11. Magna Carta
Resenting the monarchy’s expanding power, many nobles rebelled against King John.
In 1215 at Runnymede, John was forced to agree to a document of rights called the Magna Carta, or Great Charter.
The Magna Carta recognized the longstanding feudal idea of mutual rights and obligations between lord and vassal: the King and his people.
It would influence the American Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights (i.e. No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law)

12. The Power of the Church Christianity in the early Middle Ages
As society withered after the fall of Rome, Christianity was a constant
Popes and church leaders would be able to use the power vacuum in Europe as a way to expand the power of Christianity throughout the Middle Ages
Christianity was spread by:
Missionaries who risked their lives to spread Christianity
Clovis when he united the Franks through the use of Christianity
Attacks by Muslims spurred people to convert to Christianity

13. The Power of the Church Structure of the Church
The Church had different ranks of clergy, or religious officials
Pope was head of Church
All clergy, including bishops and priests fell under pope’s authority
For most people, local priests served as the main contact with the Church

14. The Power of the Church Religion as a Unifying Force
Feudalism created division but Church teachings bonded them together
Provided people with a sense of security and of belonging to a religious community
Priests and other clergy administered sacraments (religious ceremonies)
All were subject to canon law, or Church Law

15. The Power of the Church Education Women, or nuns, lived in convents
The Church offered the only place to receive an education in the Middle Ages
Monasteries were religious communities for men
Men in monasteries were called monks and gave up possessions to devote a life serving God
Women, or nuns, lived in convents
St. Benedict wrote a book setting a practical set of rules for monasteries

16. The Power of the Church Far-Reaching Authority of the Church
The Christian Church was becoming secular or worldly; extending its influence into all aspects of daily life especially politics
Example of Secular: Pope Gregory I used church revenues to raise armies, repair roads, and help the poor
The Church sought to influence spiritual and political matters when it crowned Charlemagne Roman Emperor in 800
Pope Gelasius I suggested that God had created two swords:
One sword was religious ----> held by pope
One sword was political ----> held by the emperor
Pope bows to emperor in political matters
Emperor bows to pope in spiritual matters
If each kept authority in own realm, the two could live in harmony
Unfortunately, this separation of church and state didn’t always happen

17. The Power of the Church The Emperor Clashes with the Pope
Church unhappy with use of lay investiture
Lay investiture: Kings appointing church officials
Pope Gregory VII banned lay investiture in 1075
German Emperor Henry IV was furious with Pope Gregory VII
Henry demanded the pope step down; Gregory excommunicated Henry
Excommunication: taking away a person’s right of membership in the Church
Henry approached Gregory for forgiveness and was forced to wait in the snow for 3 days
Power of the Pope was much greater than German kings
Future kings would attempt to exert power over the papacy (pope)
These attempts would weaken German provinces in Europe

18. Result:
Throughout the Middle Ages, the power of the Church grew. It was able to provide unity, education, and strong empires even allowed popes to abandon morality and call for the bloody event known as The Crusades.

19. Constructive Response Questions
What was the role of The Church during the Middle Ages?