1. The Early Middle Ages (500 -1000 )
Known as the "Dark Ages"
1. Culture and learning almost disappeared in Europe.
2. Few organized governments existed.
3. Plagued by barbaric invasions.
Germanic tribes
Hunted rather than farmed.
Many were seafaring (i.e. Vikings)
They worshipped the forces of nature.
Paid little attention to art, science, and literature

2. The Age of Charlemagne
The Age of Charlemagne is known as the, "Light in the Dark Ages."
King of the Franks
Governed his kingdom from a castle in Aachen.
Crowned Roman Emperor in 800 A.D. by Pope Leo III.
Created a huge empire by defeating the Lombards and Saxons.
Incorporated their territories into his empire.
Managed his lands efficiently and kept his nobles loyal.
Charlemagne was very interested in education.
Constructed schools

4. Charlemagne’s Death His successors could not maintain the kingdom.
Treaty of Verdun, (843 A.D.)

5. Treaty of Verdun, 843 Split Charlemagne's kingdom into three regions.
Charles the Bald - West Frankish Kingdom (Modern-day France)
Louis the German - East Frankish Kingdom (Modern-day Germany and central Europe)
Lothar I - Kingdom of Italy (Northern Italy)
Subdivided after Lothar I’s death in 855 A.D. between Lothar II, Charles the Young, and Louis II.
Division made the kingdoms weaker and they
became rivals.

6. Feudalism The growth of Feudalism (900A.D. to 1400's)
System of holding land in exchange for military service.
Feudal kings and lords gave lands (Fiefs) to lesser nobles (Vassals).
An unwritten contract or understanding.
Often, they continued to subdivide their lands (fiefs) further.
Developed because organized government fell apart in Europe.

7. Advantages of Feudalism
Provided stability, security, and government after the collapse of the
Roman Empire.
Offered protection against barbarian invasions.
Everyone had certain rights and duties.

8. Disadvantages of Feudalism
Undemocratic principle
Some people were born to rule and others to serve.
Period was marked by poverty, illiteracy,
and numerous diseases.
Warfare became frequent between the
vassals.
Much land and property was destroyed.
Peasants suffered the most

9. Feudal Life
The manor, or estate of the lord, was the center of medieval life.
Consisted of the lord's castle, fields where crops were grown, and the village where the peasants lived.
Agriculture was the most important industry.
Peasants worked both their land and their lord's land.
Farming methods and tools were crude and inefficient.
Three-field system was popular
- 2/3 of the fields were used for farming each season.
- The other 1/3 was left alone, to fallow, to regain its fertility

10. Life of a peasant Life was very hard.
Peasants were bound to the land, often sold with the land.
Needed their lord's permission to marry or to travel outside of the manor.
Worked from sunrise to sunset.
Little time for entertainment or merrymaking.
Self-sufficient: Grew their own food and made their own clothing.
Plagued by crop failures and numerous diseases.
Very few could read.

11. Church in the Middle Ages
Roman Catholic Church
The Church was the most powerful institution in Medieval Europe.
People had unquestionable faith in the church.
Represented an escape from the turmoil of their everyday lives.
Sanctuary (safe place)
Entire lives were guided by the Catholic Church.
If you didn't belong, you were considered an outcast.

12. The Power of the Church in 1500
It Owned Land:
The Church owned many large areas of farmland. People who grew
crops on this land had to give one tenth of everything they grew to the
Church - this was called the Tithe.
It Controlled People’s Beliefs:
told people that when they died, their souls lived on either in
Heaven or in Hell.
Hell, they said, was a place of great pain and suffering.
The people were understandably frightened of going there. So, the
Church gave them hope. It said that after you die your soul goes first to
a place called Purgatory, where it would stay until any sins had been burnt away.

13. It Was Rich:
People wanted to be in purgatory for the shortest possible time.
The Church said that you could shorten your stay in purgatory if you did several things
-Attend Church and live a good life
-Go on a pilgrimage
-Buy a special pardon, known as Indulgences.
The Church made a lot of money this way, as people tried to buy their way to heaven.
The Church also made money through the Tithes.

14. It Was Not Controlled by the King
The Roman Catholic church was led by the Pope (the King could not tell anyone from the Church what to do)
Even if a churchman committed a crime, they could not be tried by a normal court, but by fellow churchmen, who were often very lenient

15. How the Catholic Church enforced its authority
Excommunication- cut off an individual from Church services.
Considered a severe form of punishment.
Interdiction- cut off an entire nation or region from Church services.