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Early Middle Ages in Europe- Dark Ages (500-1000 BCE)
Feudalism- System of exchange. Lords give the serfs a plot of land to farm. The serfs used this land for food, shelter and protection. The serfs help the lords in labor produce.
Manor economy- self-sufficient. On the manor, or the Lord's estate, there's the lord's house. Also, there are cottages in which the serfs live and there were blacksmiths to make things.
Daily life- the male nobles ate slept and interacted with other nobles all day. The female nobles were never able to leave the manor. The children of the nobles had no childhood and were uneducated. The sexes were separated.
Nuns/Monks/Church- If your family all passed away, for example in a sea accident, and you need support b/c you can't even become a serf, then you would become a Nun/Monk and you would get taught, fed and sheltered.
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"Movers and Shakers" of the Early Middle Ages
Clovis- First of the French kings to convert to Christianity and he had many followers. He reconquered Gaul and he adopted Roman Catholicism. Germany, France and England all worshiped trees, elves. All of the ideas of Christmas were a Pagan idea. Christians in Europe had to adapt to the surroundings to be accepted by the Pagans, so they adopted Pagan ideas as part of their religion.
Charlemagne- He strengthened Christianity. He reconquered the Old Western Roman Empire. He sent out missionaries around this New Old Empire to spread out Christianity. The Vikings tried to attack and he fought them off. He named the empire the Holy Roman Empire b/c it was governed together by the popes and the kings. All of what Charlemagne did was revive the Old Empire with a little twist. The pope put oil on the head of Charlemagne to show that to the Christians, he was as strong as King David. This strengthened feudalism b/c Charlemagne had so much land that he couldn't work. So he gave it to others to work, which was the idea of feudalism.
Eleanor Arquitaine- Her marriage was arranged by her father and he gave his land to her. Her children with Henry would be the Kings and Queens of France.
The Venerable Beck- He was a Priest, a writer and a historian.
Benedict- He started the Monks of Benedict Order.
St. Patrick (Ireland) and St. Augustan (England)- last to be Christianized.
Church Authorities- The pope has a property called a papal state. A Person needed a certain amount of sacraments in order to be Christian, and if you don't receive them, it is believed that you go straight to hell. When you are born, you need to be baptized. Also, in order to get married, you must have a priest marry you. Also, every Sunday in church you must drink from wine (symbolizes blood of Jesus) and you must eat from something like matza. (symbolizes body of Jesus)
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High Middle Ages (1000-1300 BCE)
Invasions and major migrations stopped. The Vikings decided to stop coming down. B/c of this, life was quieter and missionaries were able to come around. Life changed into a life of peace.
(1) Agricultural Revolution #2 (Europe).
The reason for it: (a) the use of metal in farming tools- used to did deeper- the soil got turned over better and the seedlings would take root better and you could grow a better crop. (b) Windmill- water to increase hydropower- easier to get water much quicker.
� Rotation of crops- 3-field system- plant 2 fields and let 1 rest. And because of this change in agriculture, then
(2) Growth of Towns
(a) Population ---> Urban nation(came to city)
(b) Permanent trade fairs ---> Markets (b/c there was a bigger population, the people needed to go to the outside merchants). The merchants then settled in the cities and created markets- towns grew rapidly. (c) Crossroads near churches (d) Stops on trade routes- silk road, spice route. There were towns at the intersection of the road and a town, or at the intersection of a trade route and a river. But, you had to get permission from church/nobles to start this piece of land- had to sign charters. Allowed this to be a free city. And, if a serf got off his/her manor and alluded trial for a year and a day, then you had a right to be a merchant or whatever you wanted to be b/c you were free and b/c the town was bought by a few people and it was not governed by the king/noble. Now that there is more towns, there is more trade.
(3) Rise of Middle Class
The nobles hated the M.C. b/c they took away their power (they also took away some of the church's power.
(4) Rise of Capitalism
(a) They need banks (b) They need insurance (c) They need checks (bills of exchange)
Gilds are groups of artisans, or skilled workers. But, Jews were not allowed in guilds, so all that was left for them was money-lending and banking.
The serfs wake up about the idea of buying and selling
They learnt that you can buy your freedom with your money (they got their money from selling in the market.)
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