1. The Early Middle Ages ‘aka’ Medieval Era: Feudalism 800-1100

2. Why Feudalism Is Needed
People looked to local landlords or nobles to provide security and meet their non-religious needs

3. How Feudalism Works
Feudalism was a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their landholdings among lesser lords.
In exchange, lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord.

4. The Three Estates: function and divine order in theory
Church (pray, provide "social services")
Nobles (fight, keep order)
Commoners (work; = everyone else)

5. Under the feudal system, everyone had a well-defined place in society.
How feudalism works…
Under the feudal system, everyone had a well-defined place in society.

6. How Feudalism Works

7. Gettin down on the farm Usually one bedroom houses Animals sleep
in the house
Dirt floors
Sleep on straw
6 work days…
Animals slept in the house because of theft, etc.

8. CRUSADES

9. REQUEST OF HELP
1093 AD
Alexius Comnenus sent letter to Robert, Count of Flanders
Asked for help against Muslim Turks
Threatening Constantinople
Pope Urban II read the letter

10. CRUSADES Holy War - 4 main wars Goals
Gain control of Jerusalem and Holy Land
Rid of Muslim Control
Lasted 200 yrs - 50,000-60,000 soldiers
If you die, you go to heaven
“God wills it”
Economic and Religious motives

11. 1ST CRUSADE 1095 – 1099 Against Seljuk Turks Defended Constantinople
Gained control of Jerusalem
Crusader States est.
Kingdom of Jerusalem est.

12. 2ND CRUSADE 1145-1149 Muslims conquered Edessa
Crusaders attacked Damascus
Failed
Muslims gain more control in Holy Land
1187 – Muslims capture Jerusalem

13. 3rd Crusade Lead by Europe’s 3 MVPs:
French King: Philip Augustus (went home)
English King: Richard the Lion-Hearted
German Emperor: Frederick Barbarossa (drowned on the trip)
*ends with a truce between Richard and Saladin.

14. Where did the Black Death come from?

15. What were the symptoms of the plague?

16. How was the plague transmitted?
We now know that the most common form of the Black Death was the BUBONIC PLAGUE! This disease was spread by fleas which lived on the black rat. The fleas sucked the rat’s blood which contained the plague germs. When the rat died the fleas jumped on to humans and passed on the deadly disease.