The Middle Ages

1
The Middle Ages

• 1066-1485

2
The Medieval Man

• Organizer
• Codifier
• Builder of Systems
• Chivalrous

3
William the Conqueror

• Battle of Hastings, October 1066
• Duke of Normandy, France
• Killed King Harold, last of the Anglo-Saxon kings

• Anglo-Saxons
• Democratic
• Artistic
• Normans
• Administrative ability
• Law and Order
• Cultural Unity

4
Literary Events of the Middle Ages

• First mass production of paper in Spain, 1150
• Chaucer begins the Canterbury Tales, 1387
• Entire Bible translated into English, 1380
• First book printed with moveable type by
  Gutenberg, 1455

5
The Bubonic Plague

• Also known as The Black Death
• 1348-1349
• 1/3 of population eliminated
• Spread from fleas from infected rats
• Caused labor shortage and gave lower class more
  leverage against overlords

6
Feudalism

• Caste system
• Social structure in which class is based on
  heredity
• Property system
• King would allot land to barons or vassal (lords)
• Barons could allot land to their vassals
• Knights do not own land
• Serfs do not own land
• Military system
• Knights were trained as young boys to serve their
  lords

7
Military Advancements

• Armor
• Suit of armor replaced mail shirt because of the
  advancement of the bow
• 200 metal plates
• 120 lbs
• Could cause, heart failure, suffocation, or
  drowning
• Needed another person to put it on
• Gun Powder
• In 1325, Chinese gun powder introduced to England
• Used cannons to blow holes in castles
• Long Bow
• Yard-long arrows could now fly over castle walls
• Yeomen (small land owners) first introduced the
  long bow

8
Money

• Before 11th century, few coins used and only by
  upper classes
• Feudal lords made their own money for use on
  their property
• Use of gold coins improved peasants buying and
  selling power
• Minting of coins was essential to the revival of
  Englands economy

9
Women in Medieval Society

• No Voice, no choice
• Women had no political rights
• Primarily Military system
• Subservient to Men
• Husband
• Father
• Brother
• Social status depended on the man

10
Chivalry and Courtly Love

• Rules of warfare
• Never attack and unarmed opponent
• Adore one particular lady
• Nonsexual, courtly love
• Knight would wear her colors in battles
• Inspired Romance Literature
• Did not improve the treatment of women

11
The Crusades

• 1095-1270
• European Christians against Muslims
• Fighting to win Jerusalem
• Introduced to Europe
• Mathematics
• Astronomy
• Architecture
• Crafts

12
Murder of Thomas a Becket

• Becket and Henry II friends
• Henry appointed Becket Arch Bishop of Canterbury
  (head of Catholic Church in England)
• Becket took Popes side over Henry II
• Henry II had Becket murdered in December 1170
• Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?
• Killed in his own cathedral
• Weakened the king and his power struggle with
  Rome

13
Magna Carta

• In 1215, English barons force King John to sign
  the Magna Carta
• Defeat of central power
• Basis for English Constitutional Law such as
• Trial by Jury
• Legislative Taxation

14
100 Year War

• 1337-1453
• Waged by England against France
• France won
• Important for England because Yeomen (small
  landowners) replaced knights in armor
• Democratic England was born