Embedded Files
unit 6: topic 1 - curriculum guide
unit 6: topic 1 - curriculum guide
table of contents
table of contents
Unit 6 - Topic 1: Overview......................................................................................................................................................1
Unit 6 - Topic 1: Goal, GLEs, & Description...........................................................................................................................2
Essential Content - GLEs
Ancillary Content - GLEs
Homework: What Did you Learn in Unit 5 - Topic 4............................................................................................................3
Student Strategies...................................................................................................................................................................4
Caterpillar Writing
Thinking Like a Historian
R.A.C.E. Strategy for Reading
C.E.R. (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) Strategy for Reading and Sentence Starters
Introducing Medieval Europe................................................................................................................................................5
Lesson Activity: Vocabulary Words - Homework................................................................................................................6
Lesson Activity: Prior Knowledge - Physical and Political Maps.......................................................................................7
Political Maps of Europe.........................................................................7A
Physical Maps of Europe.........................................................................7B
Major Mountains and Major River Maps..............................................7C
Climate Zone Map...................................................................................7D
Time Zone Map........................................................................................7E
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment............................................................................................8
Lesson Activity: Building Context.........................................................................................................................................9
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment.............................................................................................10
Lesson Activity: Building Context - Middle Ages..................................................................................................................11
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment..............................................................................................12
Lesson Activity: Building Context - Life in the Middle Ages................................................................................................13
Religion..................................................................................................13A
Homes....................................................................................................13B
Clothing..................................................................................................13C
Health.....................................................................................................13D
Arts and Entertainment.......................................................................13E
Town Life................................................................................................13F
Lesson Activity: Building Context - The Magna Carta..........................................................................................................14
Lesson Activity: Building Context - The Black Death, 1348..................................................................................................15
Lesson Activity: Building Context - Understanding the Black Death..................................................................................16
Document A...........................................................................................16A
Document B...........................................................................................16B
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment - The Black Death................................................................17
Lesson Activity: Building Context - The Crusades...................................................................................................................18
Document A............................................................................................18A
Document B............................................................................................18B
Document C............................................................................................18C
Lesson Activity: Building Context - Impact of the Crusades...................................................................................................19
Lesson Activity: Building Context - Economy in the Middle Ages...........................................................................................20
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment..................................................................................................21
Lesson Activity: Summative Assessment...................................................................................................................................22
Unit 6 - Topic 1: Overview
Unit 6 - Topic 1: Overview
Page 1
Unit 6 Description: Students explore how changing ideas led to the "modern world." Students learn about the characters that defined the Middle Ages and the factors that brought about change that shifted Europe into the Renaissance.
unit 6 - topic 1: goals, gles, & description
unit 6 - topic 1: goals, gles, & description
Page 2
Topic 1: Goal
Students will be able to write an essay that explains the rise and fall of feudalism and how it shaped Medieval society.
Topics (GLEs) for the unit & pacing:
Unit 6: Approximately 7 weeks
Topic 1: Approximately 14 class periods
Connections to the Unit Claim:
Students examine characteristics of Medieval Europe. Students also investigate the various factors that contributed to the shift from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Key Connections:
Feudalism, trade, and commerce led to the growth of towns and cities during the Middle Ages.
Ideas, people, and events influenced the Renaissance and transformed European culture.
Past civilizations influence later civilizations.
Claim:
What makes civilizations regress and how do they renew themselves?
Sub-claim:
How did the changes in Medieval Europe lead to the decline of feudalism?
essential content
essential content
6.2.9 Describe the characteristics, significance, and influences of feudalism, the Crusades, and the growth of towns and cities through trade and commerce during the Middle Ages
Explain the events that led to the rise of feudalism (fall of the Roman Empire which led to a barter economy, the rule of Charlemagne, division of land among Germanic tribes).
Describe the roles of groups within the feudal structure (kings and queens, nobles, knights, lords, vassals, peasants-freeman, and serfs) and explain feudal relationships and their purposes (exchange of rights and obligations, such as the giving fiefs/land in exchange for protection and service and the giving of land and protection in exchange for labor.)
Describe the culture and society of the Middle Ages, including the manor system, homes, work, warfare, advancements in technology and agriculture, art, architecture, entertainment, the growth of villages, and religion.
Explain the role and importance of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages.
Describe the formation of centralized governments in England and France, including the purpose of the Magna Carta and its legacy/influence on the modern world (monarchy, constitutional monarchy, parliament, democratic traditions).
Explain the motivations of the Crusades, including the motivations and perspectives of both Christians and Muslims during the Middle Ages.
Explain the outcomes and cultural, economic, and political effects of the Crusades, including effects on territorial expansion, cultural diffusion, religious practice in the East and West, and the Muslim world.
Explain the reasons for the outbreak and spread of the Black Death/Bubonic Plague.
Explain the social, economic, and political effects of the Black Death, including the effects on trade, work, wages, population, and the decline of feudalism.
Explain the causes and effects of the decline of feudalism in Medieval Europe.
6.3.4 Determine world migration patterns and population treads by interpreting maps, charts, and graphs
Analyze the spread of the Black Death/Bubonic Plague through Africa, Europe, and Asia using maps, and explain relationships among the spread of the plague, population density, and trading centers and routes.
Explain how events during the Middle Ages (the Crusades, outbreak and spread of the Black Death/Bubonic Plague, decline of feudalism, and increase in trade) affected migration patterns and population trends in medieval Europe using maps, charts, and graphs.
6.4.2 Explain how world migration patterns and cultural diffusion influenced human settlement
Explain why people migrated to towns and cities in medieval Europe.
Explain why trade increased after the Crusades.
6.6.1 Explain the impact of job specialization in the development of civilizations
Explain the relationship between job specialization and social structures in medieval Europe.
Explain the development of guilds, including their purpose, role/function, and effects.
6.6.3 Describe the economic motivation for expanding trade and territorial conquests in world civilizations using economic concepts
Use economic terms to explain reasons for the expansion of trade in medieval Europe (terms include: goods, services, producers, consumers, supply, demand, scarcity, shortage, surplus, markets, import, and export).
Explain factors that contributed to the growth of trade in medieval Europe.
6.6.4 Explain how the development of trade and taxation influenced economic growth in the ancient world
Describe the Commercial Revolution during the Middle Ages, including the role and importance of trade and the relationships between trade and the growth of towns, cities, marketplaces, businesses, and banks.
ancillary content
ancillary content
6.1.1 Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences by completing the following tasks:
Options to address 6.1.1 in Unit 6:
Compare and contrast perspectives on the Crusades held by Christians and Muslims during the Middle Ages.
Produce written claims on how civilizations decline and renew themselves.
6.1.2 Construct and interpret a parallel timeline of key events in the ancient world
Create a parallel timeline for the Middle Ages and Renaissance that includes the rule of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Empire, the rise and decline of feudalism, the Crusades, the signing of the Magna Carta, the Black Death/Bubonic Plague, the Italian and Northern Renaissance, Medici family rule, development of the printing press, and printing of the Gutenberg Bible.
Create a timeline using appropriate dates, including B.C.E./B.C. and C.E./A.D.
6.1.3 Analyze information in primary and secondary sources to address document-based questions
Analyze writings, artworks, and artifacts from the Middle Ages to answer questions about medieval Europe
6.1.4 Identify and compare measurement of time in order to understand historical chronology
Identify historical time periods and eras (Middle Ages, medieval, Commercial Revolution, Renaissance).
Review terms related to measurements of time as needed (B.C.E./B.C., C.E./A.D., circa or c.).
6.3.1 Identify and label major lines of latitude and longitude using a world map or globe to determine climate zones and time zones
Review the location of major lines of latitude (Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic of Cancer, Arctic Circle), climate zones and types (tropical, dry, mild, continental, polar), and the relationship between latitude and climate as necessary.
Using a climate map, describe the type of climate(s) present in Europe.
Review time zones as necessary.
6.3.2 Plot coordinates of latitude and longitude to determine location or change of location
Review how to find latitude and longitude as necessary by using maps to plot coordinates or latitude and longitude for important locations in Europe, and recognize hemispheres, continents, and oceans.
6.3.3 Compare and contrast physical and political boundaries of civilizations, empires, and kingdoms using maps and globes
Use maps to locate the major physical features (bodies of water, deserts, mountain ranges) that influenced political boundaries.
Use maps to locate political boundaries, including kingdoms/empires, city-states, and major cities in Europe (medieval: Germanic kingdoms, Byzantine Empire, England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Paris, Russia, Spain), and explain changes to political boundaries over time.
6.4.1 Identify and describe physical features and climate conditions that contributed to early human settlement in regions of the world
Use maps to locate major physical features associated with medieval and Renaissance Europe, including bodies of water (Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea) and rivers (Danube, Rhine), mountain ranges (Alps, Apennines, Carpathian, Caucasus, Pyrenees).
6.4.3 Explain the connection between physical geography and its influence on the development of civilization
Analyze reasons for the location of towns and cities in Europe (proximity to water).
Explain the importance of geography and environment to the development of medieval and Renaissance Europe.
Ancillary Content not addressed in the textbook at this time. Teachers should include Ancillary Content with the Topic.
homework: what did you learn in unit 5 - Topic 4?
homework: what did you learn in unit 5 - Topic 4?
Page 3
Directions for Homework: Before we start this new topic, take a minute to write about what you have learned so far. Use complete sentences in your writing. Try to fill these pages with the new knowledge you have gained. Celebrating YOU, Because YOU ARE SOMEBODY!!! Don't forget it!
Student Strategies - Caterpillar Writing, Thinking Like a Historian, & R.A.C.E.
Student Strategies - Caterpillar Writing, Thinking Like a Historian, & R.A.C.E.
Page 4
Student Strategies - CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning) & Sentence Starters
Student Strategies - CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning) & Sentence Starters
introducing medieval europe
introducing medieval europe
Page 5
Mr. Nicky's video on the Middle Ages:
Watch the following video on the Middle Ages to discover a brief introduction to this topic.
Watch the Videos on Medieval Ages
medieval europe - introduction
medieval europe - introduction
Europe in the Middle Ages
Pope Urban II
The Middle Ages
Historians label the years between A.D. 500 and 1500 in Europe the Middle Ages, or the Medieval Period. This period of 1,000 years came between the decline of the western Roman Empire and the beginning of what is known as the Modern Age (1500 to the present). This era has been further divided into the Early Middle Ages (500 to 1000), a period of heavy migrations of warring peoples across Europe, and the Later Middle Ages (1000 to 1500), when religious and political conflicts contrasted with artistic and technological achievement.
During the Medieval Period, Western Europe became increasingly German in language and culture. Much of Eastern Europe was ruled by the mighty Byzantine Empire, in which the Greek language and culture were foremost. While the Middle East and North Africa experienced the rise of Islam and the growth of a Muslim empire, Europeans were terrorized by raiders and colonizers from Scandinavia.
Feudalism and the Manorial System
After Charlemagne's empire broke apart, the people of Europe had no strong central government to look to for protection or help. Land was the main source of wealth. Large landholders had the most authority because, in many instances, land took the place of money. People were often paid for their services in land. The landholders needed people to protect the land and to farm it. Two systems came into being to meet the need to defend and farm the land. They both provided political, social, economic, and military organization to Europe.
The Roman Catholic Church
After Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire, the Church became known as the Roman Catholic Church. (The phrase means the universal church of Rome.) The organization of the Church gave the pope in Rome much power. He was aided by cardinals and bishops, who supervised the work of the priests. In the Middle Ages, every manor and every town had a church. Every church had a priest to conduct religious services.
Church officials served as advisers to lords and kings. The church conducted schools and provided places for travelers to stay. In many areas of Europe, the Church was the only form of government. It kept law and learning alive in Europe.
The Crusades
For many years, European Christians made the long, difficult trip to the Middle East to visit the places where Jesus had lived and taught. Of special importance was the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified. In the late 1000s, the Seljuk Turks began to interfere with Christian visitors to the Holy Land. The Turks were not Christians but Muslims. Muslims believed in a religion called Islam. Muslims considered Jesus to be a holy man or a prophet, but not God.
The Turks also threatened the Byzantine Empire, which had its capital at Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire was the remaining portion of the old Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantines were Christians.
The manorial system
The Crusades
lesson activity: vocabulary words - homework
lesson activity: vocabulary words - homework
Page 6
Bubonic Plague 11. lord
Charlemagne 12. Magna Carta
chivalry 13. manor
convert 14. manorialism
Crusades 15. medieval
empire 16. Middle Ages
feudalism 17. parliament
fief 18. peasant
guild 19. serf
knight 20. vassal
Directions: Open your NOTEBOOK and complete the vocabulary for a HOMEWORK assignment. You will not be tested on all words, but you need to know them for content.
lesson activity: prior knowledge - physical and political maps
lesson activity: prior knowledge - physical and political maps
Page 7
Activate Your Prior Knowledge
Use the map above to locate the Europe on the map. You will need to know where it is and what it looks like in order to find Europe on the Time Zone Map. The coordinates of Europe are 55°N, 0°. Put an X where it is located.
Review the definitions of political and physical maps.
Students will need to review the definitions of a Physical Map and a Political Map. Go to your NOTEBOOK, write the definitions, and make a list of things you would find on a physical map and a political map. Use your notebook or textbook to find the answers. You should also use the maps. Remember this is prior knowledge and you should know the meanings of these words.
political maps of europe Pg. 7A
political maps of europe Pg. 7A
physical maps of europe Pg. 7B
physical maps of europe Pg. 7B
Physical maps illustrate the physical features of an area such as the mountains, rivers, and lakes. Topographic maps include contour lines to show the shape and elevation of an area.
major mountains and major rivers maps, Pg. 7c
major mountains and major rivers maps, Pg. 7c
Directions: look at your Graphic Organizer of the physical map of European Civilizations and add the major rivers and mountain ranges that are located in Europe onto your map. Add symbols in the physical features section of the chart on your European Civilizations worksheet. You will find this worksheet on slide 9 in your NOTEBOOK.
climate zone map, Pg. 7D
climate zone map, Pg. 7D
Directions: Determine what climate zones are present in the current area of study by recording the different climate zones on your European Civilizations Worksheet on slide 10 in your NOTEBOOK.
time zone map - with latitude and longitude, Pg. 7E
time zone map - with latitude and longitude, Pg. 7E
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
Page 8
Once you have completed the above map tasks, you will predict the impact of climate on human settlement patterns in this region. In other words, how will humans be affected by the climate? Use evidence from the maps and your outside knowledge to support your answers. Listed below are a few questions to help you in developing your claim.
What would attract a group of humans to settle in this area?
What climate zones contain the best conditions for human settlement?
What physical features would attract or repel human settlement?
Go to your NOTEBOOK to answer these questions and to write your response.
lesson activity: building context
lesson activity: building context
Page 9
THINK/EXAMINE/ANALYZE: Look at the world map below, what do you see? Can you look at this map and identify where you think human settlement would occur? What do the colors mean? The colors on this map indicate the different elevations. Green generally means lower elevations. Brown on this map means mountains. The lighter color green is slightly higher elevation than the darker green. Using this information, where might humans want to live? Use the map in your NOTEBOOK to indicate where you think humans may live.
Lesson activity: Developing a claim/formative assessment
Lesson activity: Developing a claim/formative assessment
Page 10
Directions: Students will now develop a claim identifying the regions on the globe that presents the best environment for human settlement to develop. Students will write a paragraph in which they reference climate and geographic features in their response. Be sure to include details from task materials and from class discussions. Your teacher may take this for a grade. Use the claims rubric to write your paragraph, as your teachers will use this same rubric to grade your paragraph.
lesson activity: Building context
lesson activity: Building context
Middle Ages
Page 11
What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages?
Medieval or the Middle Ages. We think of knights in shining armor, lavish banquets, wandering minstrels, kings, queens, bishops, monks, pilgrims, and glorious pageantry.
In film and literature, medieval life seems heroic, entertaining, and romantic. In reality, life in the Middle Ages, a period that extended from approximately the fifth century to the fifteenth century in Western Europe, was sometimes all these things, as well as harsh, uncertain, and often dangerous.
feudal Life
feudal Life
For safety and for defense, people in the Middle Ages formed small communities around a central lord or master. Most people lived on a manor, which consisted of the castle, the church, the village, and the surrounding farmland. These manors were isolated, with occasional visits from peddlers, pilgrims on their way to the Crusades, or soldiers from other fiefdoms.
In this "feudal" system, the king awarded land grants or "fiefs" to the most important nobles, his barons, and his bishops, in return for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies. At the lowest echelon of society were the peasants, also called "serfs" or "villeins." In exchange for living and working in his land, known as the "demesne," the lord offered his peasants protection.
Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Nobles divided their land among the lesser nobility, who became their servants or "vassals." Many of these vassals became so powerful that the kings had difficulty controlling them. By 1100, certain barons had castles and courts that rivaled the king's; they could be serious threats if they were not pleased in their dealings with the crown.
In 1215, the English barons formed an alliance that forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. While it gave no rights to ordinary people, the Magna Carta did limit the king's powers of taxation and require trials before punishment. It was the first time that an English monarch came under the control of the law.
peasant life
peasant life
Peasants worked the land and produced the goods that the lord and his manor needed. This exchange was not without hardship for the serfs. They were heavily taxed and were required to relinquish much of what they harvested. The peasants did not even "belong to" themselves, according to medieval law. The lords, in close association with the church, assumed the roles of judges in carrying out the laws of the manor.
role of women
role of women
It should come as no surprise that women, whether they were nobles or peasants, held a difficult position in society. They were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning. However, they also hunted for food and fought in battles, learning to use weapons to defend their homes and castles. Some medieval women held other occupations. There were women blacksmiths, merchants, and apothecaries. Others were midwives, worked in the fields, or were engaged in creative endeavors such as writing, playing musical instruments, dancing, and painting.
Some women were known as witches, capable of sorcery and healing. Others became nuns and devoted their lives to God and spiritual matters. Famous women of the Middle Ages include the writer Christine de Pisan; the abbess and musician Hildegard of Bingen; and the patron of the arts Eleanor of Aquitaine. A French peasant's daughter, Joan of Arc, or St. Joan, heard voices telling her to protect France against the English invasion. She dressed in armor and led her troops to victory in the early fifteenth century. "The Maid of Orleans" as she was known, was later burned as a witch.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will complete the Roles in the Feudal System chart.
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
Page 12
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will develop a claim describing the relationship between each role within the society of the feudal system. Remember to provide evidence from your sources and outside knowledge to support your answer.
lesson activity: Building context
lesson activity: Building context
Life in the Middle Ages
Page 13
religion, Pg. 13A
religion, Pg. 13A
The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large coffers. Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government. Bishops, who were often wealthy and came from noble families, ruled over groups of parishes called "dioceses." Parish priests, on the other hand, came from humbler backgrounds and often had little education. The village priest tended to the sick and indigent and, if he was able, taught Latin and the Bible to the youth of the village.
As the population of Europe expanded in the twelfth century, the churches that had been built in the Roman style with round-arched roods became too small. Some of the grand cathedrals, strained to their structural limits by their creators' drive to build higher and larger, collapsed within a century or less of their construction.
monks and nuns
monks and nuns
Monasteries in the Middle Ages were based on the rules set down by St. Benedict in the sixth century. The monks became known as Benedictines and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to their leaders. They were required to perform manual labor and were forbidden to own property, leave the monastery, or become entangled in the concerns of society. Daily tasks were often carried out in silence. Monks and their female counterparts, nuns, who lived in convents, provided for the less-fortunate members of the community. Monasteries and nunneries were safe havens for pilgrims and other travelers.
Monks went to the monastery church eight times a day in a routine of worship that involved singing, chanting, and reciting prayers from the divine offices and from the service for Mass. The first office, "Matins," began at 2 A.M. and the next seven followed at regular intervals, culminating in "Vespers" in the evening and "Compline" before the monks retired at night. Between prayers, the monks read or copied religious texts and music. Monks were often well educated and devoted their lives to writing and learning. The Venerable Bede, an English Benedictine monk who was born in the seventh century, wrote histories and books on science and religion.
Pilgrimages
Pilgrimages
Pilgrimages were an important part of religious life in the Middle Ages. Many people took journeys to visit holy shrines such as the Church of St. James at Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the Canterbury cathedral in England, and sites in Jerusalem and Rome. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a series of stories told by 30 pilgrims as they traveled to Canterbury.
homes, 13B
homes, 13B
Most medieval homes were cold, damp, and dark. Sometimes it was warmer and lighter outside the home than within its walls. For security purposes, windows, when they were present, were very small openings with wooden shutters that were closed at night or in bad weather. The small size of the windows allowed those inside to see out but kept outsiders from looking in.
Many peasant families ate, slept, and spent time together in very small quarters, rarely more than one or two rooms. The houses had thatched roofs and were easily destroyed.
homes of the wealthy
homes of the wealthy
The homes of the rich were more elaborate than the peasants' homes. Their floors were paved, as opposed to being strewn with rushes and herbs, and sometimes decorated with tiles. Tapestries were hung on the walls, providing not only decoration but also an extra layer of warmth. Fenestral windows, with lattice frames that were covered in a fabric soaked in resin and tallow, allowed in light, kept out drafts, and could be removed in good weather. Only the wealthy could afford panes of glass; sometimes only churches and royal residences had glass windows.
The Kitchen
The Kitchen
In simpler homes where there were no chimneys. the medieval kitchen consisted of a stone hearth in the center of the room. This was not only where the cooking took place, but also the source of central heating. In peasant families, the wife did the cooking and baking. The peasant diet consisted of breads, vegetables from their own gardens, dairy products from their own sheep, goats, and cows, and pork from their own livestock. Often the true taste of their meat, salted and used throughout the year, was masked by the addition of herbs, leftover breads, and vegetables. Some vegetables, such as cabbages, leeks, and onions became known as "pot-herbs." This pottage was a staple of the peasant diet.
The kitchens of manor houses and castles had big fireplaces where meat, even large oxen, could be roasted on spits. These kitchens were usually in separate buildings, to minimize the threat of fire. Pantries were hung with birds and beasts, including swans, blackbirds, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, mutton, venison, and wild boar. Many of these animals were caught on hunts.
garbage and disposal
garbage and disposal
Current archaeological studies of sewage and rubbish pits contribute to our understanding of what medieval people ate. One of the most informative pits was found in Southampton, England. This pit belonged to a prominent merchant. It contained the remains of berries, fruits, and nuts, as well as pottery, glass, and fabrics, including silk, from Europe and the Near East. It also contained the remains of a Barbary ape. Documents found at the site describe the family's consumption of meat, use of pewter utensils, and the love of music. Evidence that butchery took place during this time was also found in these documents.
clothing, Pg. 13C
clothing, Pg. 13C
Most people in the Middle Ages wore woolen clothing, with undergarments made of linen. Brighter colors, better materials, and a longer jacket length were usually signs of greater wealth. The clothing of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants tended to be elaborate and changed according to the dictates of fashion. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, men of the wealthy classes sported hose and a jacket, often with pleating or skirting, or a tunic with a surcoat. Women wore flowing gowns and elaborate headwear, ranging from headdresses shaped like hearts or butterflies to tall steeple caps and Italian turbans.
Most of the holy orders wore long woolen habits in emulation of Roman clothing. One could tell the order by the color of the habit: The Benedictines wore black; the Cistercians, undyed wool or white. St. Benedict stated that a monk's clothes should be plain but comfortable and they were allowed to wear linen coifs to keep their heads warm. The Poor Clare Sisters, an order of Franciscan nuns, had to petition the Pope in order to be permitted to wear woolen socks.
peasant clothing
peasant clothing
Peasant men wore stockings or tunics, while women wore long gowns with sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover their hair. Sheepskin cloaks and woolen hats and mittens were worn in winter for protection from the cold and rain. Leather boots were covered with wooden patens to keep the feet dry. The outer clothes were almost never laundered, but the linen underwear was regularly washed. The smell of wood smoke that permeated the clothing seemed to act as a deodorant. Peasant women spun wool into the threads that were woven into the cloth for these garments.
fur and jewelry
fur and jewelry
Fur was often used to line the garments of the wealthy. Jewelry was lavish, much of it imported and often used as security against loans. Gem cutting was not invented until the fifteenth century, so most stones were not very lustrous. Ring brooches were the most popular item from the twelfth century on. Chaucer's prioress in the Canterbury Tales wore a brooch with the inscription "Amor vincit omnia" ("Love conquers all"), not a particularly appropriate slogan for a nun. Diamonds became popular in Europe in the fourteenth century. By the mid-fourteenth century, there were laws to control who wore what jewelry, and knights were not permitted to wear rings. Sometimes clothes were garnished with silver, but only the wealthy could wear such items.
health, pg. 13D
health, pg. 13D
As the populations of medieval towns and cities increased, hygienic conditions worsened, leading to a vast array of health problems. Medical knowledge was limited and, despite the efforts of medical practitioners and public and religious institutions to institute regulations, medieval Europe did not have an adequate health care system. Antibiotics weren't invented until the 1800s and it was almost impossible to cure diseases without them.
There were many myths and superstitions about health and hygiene as there still are today. People believed, for example, that disease was spread by bad odors. It was also assumed that diseases of the body resulted from sins of the soul. Many people sought relief from their ills through meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and other nonmedical methods.
The body was viewed as a part of the universe, a concept derived from the Greeks and Romans. Four humors, or body fluids' were directly related to the four elements: fire=yellow bile or choler; water=phlegm; earth=black bile; air=blood. These four humors had to be balanced. Too much of one was thought to cause a change in personality - for example, too much black bile could create melancholy.
who was treated and who did the treatng
who was treated and who did the treatng
Medicine was often a risky business. Bloodletting was a popular method of restoring a patient's health and "humors." Early surgery, often done by barbers without anesthesia, must have been excruciating.
Medical treatment was available mainly to the wealthy, and those living in villages rarely had the help of doctors, who practiced mostly in the cities and courts. Remedies were often herbal in nature, but also included ground earthworms, urine, and animal excrement. Many medieval medical manuscripts contained recipes for remedies that called for hundreds of therapeutic substances -- the notion that every substance in nature held some sort of power accounts for the enormous variety of substances. Many treatments were administered by people outside the medical tradition. Coroners' rolls from the time reveal how laypersons often made sophisticated medical judgments without the aid of medical experts. From these reports, we also learn about some of the major causes of death.
humors
humors
Natural functions, such as sneezing, were thought to be the best way of maintaining health. When there was a build-up of any one humor or body fluid, it could be disposed of through sweat, tears, feces, or urine. When these natural systems broke down, illness occurred. Medieval doctors stressed prevention, exercise, a good diet, and a good environment. One of the best diagnostic aids included taking the pulse and collecting blood samples. Treatments ranged from administering laxatives and diuretics to fumigation, cauterization, and the taking of hot baths and/or herbs.
surgery
surgery
Performed as a last resort, surgery was known to be successful in cases of breast cancer, fistula, hemorrhoids, gangrene, and cataracts, as well as tuberculosis of the lymph glands in the neck (scrofula). The most common form of surgery was bloodletting; it was meant to restore the balance of fluids in the body. some of the potions used to relieve pain or induce sleep during the surgery were themselves potentially lethal. One of these consisted of lettuce, gall from a castrated boar, briony, opium, henbane, and hemlock juice -- the hemlock juice could easily have caused death.
arts and Entertainment, PG. 13E
arts and Entertainment, PG. 13E
Art and music were critical aspects of medieval religious life and, towards the end of the Middle Ages, secular life as well. Singing without instrumental accompaniment was an essential part of church services. Monks and priests chanted the divine offices and the mass daily.
Some churches had instruments such as organs and bells. The organistrum or symphony (later known as a hurdy-gurdy) was also found in churches. Two people were required to play this stringed instrument -- one to turn the crank and the other to play the keys.
Medieval drama grew out of the liturgy, beginning in about the eleventh century. Some of the old topics were from the Old Testament (Noah and the flood, Jonah and the whale, Daniel in the lion's den) and others were stories about the birth and death of Christ. These dramas were performed with costumes and musical instruments and at first, took place directly outside the church. Later they were staged in marketplaces, where they were produced by local guilds.
town life, Pg. 13F
town life, Pg. 13F
Following 1000, peace and order grew. As a result, peasants began to expand their farms and villages further into the countryside. The earliest merchants were peddlers who went from village to village selling their goods. As the demand for goods increased -- particularly for the gems, silks, and other luxuries from Genoa and Venice, the ports of Italy that traded with the East -- the peddlers became more familiar with complex issues of trade, commerce, accounting, and contracts. They became savvy businessmen and learned to deal with Italian moneylenders and bankers. The English, Belgians, Germans, and Dutch took their coal, timber, wood, iron, copper, and lead to the south and came back with luxury items such as wine and olive oil.
With the advent of trade and commerce, feudal life declined. As the tradesmen became wealthier, they resented having to give their profits to their lords. Arrangements were made for the townspeople to pay a fixed annual sum to the lord or king and gain independence for their town as a "borough" with the power to govern itself. The marketplace became the focus of many towns.
forming town governments
forming town governments
As the townspeople became "free" citizens, powerful families, particularly in Italy, struggled to gain control of the communes of boroughs. Town councils were formed. Guilds were established to gain higher wages for their members and protect them from competitors. As the guilds grew rich and powerful, they built guildhalls and began taking an active role in civic affairs, setting up courts to settle disputes and punish wrongdoers.
The new merchant class included artisans, masons, armorers, bankers, shoemakers, ropemakers, dyers, and other skilled workers. Of all the craftsmen, the masons were the highest-paid and most respected. They were, after all, responsible for building the cathedrals, hospitals, universities, castles, and guildhalls. They learned their craft as apprentices to a master mason, living at lodges for up to seven years. The master mason was essentially an architect, a general contractor, and a teacher.
the first companies
the first companies
The population of cities swelled for the first time since before the Dark Ages. With the new merchant activity, companies were formed. Merchants hired bookkeepers, scribes, and clerks, creating new jobs.
Printing began in 1450 with the publication of the Bible by Johannes Gutenberg. This revolutionized the spread of learning. Other inventions of the time included mechanical clocks, tower mills, and guns. The inventions of Leonardo da Vinci and the voyages of discovery in the fifteenth century contributed to the birth of the Renaissance.
Few serfs were left in Europe by the end of the Middle Ages, and the growing burgher class became very powerful. Hard work and enterprise led to economic prosperity and a new social order. Urban life brought with it a new freedom of individuals.
extra!!!
extra!!!
Watch the video to learn about the everyday life in a Medieval village.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK complete the Characteristics of Civilizations organizer using the information you read on life in the middle ages.
lesson activity: building context
lesson activity: building context
The Magna Carta
Page 14
Overview of The Magna Carta
"The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history... It was written in Magna Carta."
--Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941 Inaugural address
On June 15, 1215, in a field at Runnymede, King John attached his seal to Magna Carta. Confronted by 40 rebellious nobles, he consented to their demands in order to avoid civil war. Just 10 weeks later, Pope Innocent III nullified the agreement, and England fell into internal war. Although the Magna Carta failed to resolve the conflict between King John and his nobles, it was reissued several times after his death.
Enduing Principles of liberty
The Magna Carta was written by a group of 13-century barons to protect their rights and property against a tyrannical king. It is concerned with many practical matters and specific grievances relevant to the feudal system under which they lived. The interests of the common man were not present in the minds of the men who made the agreement with the king, but there are two principles expressed in Magna Carta that resonate to this day:
(1) "No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land."
(2) "To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice."
Inspiration for Americans
During the American Revolution, the Magna Carta served to inspire and justify action in liberty's defense. The colonists believed they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen, rights guaranteed in the Magna Carta. They embedded those rights into the laws of their states and later into the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, "no person shall... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" directly reflects the Magna Carta's principles.
extra!!!
extra!!!
Watch the video to learn more about the origin of the Magna Carta and its impact on the world.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will complete the reading guide on the Magna Carta. Questions to consider include:
When and where was the Magna Carta written?
Who was the Magna Carta written by?
Who was the King, who was angry at the King, and why were they angry?
Who was the Pope and what role did the Pope play in the adoption of the Magna Carta?
What was the Magna Carta meant to achieve?
What is the legacy of the Magna Carta on the modern world?
lesson activity: building Context
lesson activity: building Context
The Black Death, 1348
Page 15
Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence.
The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim's neck, armpits or groin. These tumors could range in size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Although some survived the painful ordeal, the manifestation of these lesions usually signaled the victim had a life expectancy of up to a week. Infected fleas that attached themselves to rats and then to humans spread this bubonic type of the plague. A second variation - pneumonic plague - attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of a victim. It was much more virulent than its bubonic cousin - life expectancy was measured in one or two days. Finally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system.
Having no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women, and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated.
The Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lived through the plague as it ravaged the city of Florence in 1348. The experience inspired him to write "The Decameron," a story of seven men and three women who escape the disease by fleeing to a villa outside the city. In his introduction to the fictional portion of his book, Boccaccio gives a graphic description of the effects of the epidemic on his city.
The Signs of Impending Death
"The symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumors. In a short space of time, these tumors spread from the two parts named all over the body. Soon after this, the symptoms changed and black or purple spots appeared on the arms or thighs or any other part of the body, sometimes a few large ones, sometimes many little ones. These spots were a certain sign of death, just as the original tumor had been and still remained.
No doctor's advice, no medicine could overcome or alleviate this disease. An enormous number of ignorant men and women set up as doctors in addition to those who were trained. Either the disease was such that no treatment was possible or the doctors were so ignorant that they did not know what caused it, and consequently could not administer the proper remedy. In any case very few recovered; most people died within about three days of the appearance of the tumors described above, most of them without any fever or other symptoms.
The violence of this disease was such that the sick communicated it to the healthy who came near them, just as a fire catches anything dry or oily near it. And it even went further. To speak to or go near the sick brought infection and a common death to the living; and moreover, to touch the clothes or anything else the sick had touched or worn gave the disease to the person touching."
Varying Reactions to Disaster
"...Such fear and fanciful notions took possession of the living that almost all of them adopted to the same cruel policy, which was entirely to avoid the sick and everything belonging to them. By so doing, each one thought he would secure his own safety.
Some thought that moderate living and the avoidance of all superfluity would preserve them from the epidemic. They formed small communities, living entirely separate from everybody else. They shut themselves up in houses where there were no sick, eating the finest food and drinking the best wine very temperately, avoiding all excess, allowing no news or discussion of death and sickness, and passing the time in music and suchlike pleasures. Others thought just the opposite. They thought the sure cure for the plague was to drink and be merry, to go about signing and amusing themselves, satisfying every appetite they could, laughing and jesting at what happened. They put their words into practice, spent day and night going from tavern to tavern, drinking immoderately, or went into other people's houses, doing only those things which pleased them. This they could easily do because everyone felt doomed and had abandoned his property so that most houses became common property and any stranger who went in made use of them as if he had owned them. And with all this bestial behavior, they avoided the sick as much as possible.
In this suffering and misery of our city, the authority of human and divine laws almost disappeared, for, like other men, the ministers and the executors of the laws were all dead or sick or shut up with their families, so that no duties were carried out. Every man was, therefore, able to do as he pleased.
Many others adopted a course of life midway between the two just described. They did not restrict their victuals so much as the former, nor allow themselves to be drunken and dissolute like the latter, but satisfied their appetites moderately. They did not shut themselves, abandoned their own city, their own houses, their dwellings, their relatives, their property, and went abroad or at least to the country round Florence, as if God's wrath in punishing men's wickedness with this plague would not follow them but strike only those who remained within the walls of the city, or as if they thought nobody in the city would remain alive and that its last hour had come."
The Breakdown of Social Order
"One citizen avoided another, hardly any neighbor troubled about others, relatives never or hardly ever visited each other. Moreover, such terror was struck into the hearts of men and women by this calamity, that brother abandoned brother, and the uncle his nephew, and the sister her brother, and very often the wife her husband. What is even worse and nearly incredible is that fathers and mothers refused to see and tend their children, as if they had not been theirs.
Thus, a multitude of sick men and women were left without any care, except from the charity of friends (but these were few), or the greed, of servants, though not many of these could be had even for high wages. Moreover, most of them were coarse-minded men and women, who did little more than bring the sick what they asked for or watch over them when they were dying. And very often these servants lost their lives and their earnings.
Mass Burials
"The plight of the lower and most of the middle classes was even more pitiful to behold. Most of them remained in their houses, either through poverty or in hopes of safety, and fell sick by thousands. Since they received no care and attention, almost all of them died. Many ended their lives in the streets both at night and during the day; and many others who died in their houses were only known to be dead because the neighbors smelled their decaying bodies. Dead bodies filled every corner. Most of them were treated in the same manner by the survivors, who were more concerned to get rid of their rotting bodies than moved by charity towards the dead. With the aid of porters, if they could get them, they carried the bodies out of the houses and laid them at the door; where every morning quantities of the dead might be seen. They then were laid on biers or, as these were often lacking, on tables.
Such was the multitude of corpses brought to the churches every day and almost every hour that there was not enough consecrated ground to give them burial, especially since they wanted to bury each person in the family grave, according to the old custom. Although the cemeteries were full they were forced to dig huge trenches, where they buried the bodies by hundreds. Here they stowed them away like bales in the hold of a ship and covered them with a little earth until the whole trench was full."
EXTRA!!! Watch the video to learn more about what made the Black Death so deadly!
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK complete The Black Death graphic organizer based on the information you just read.
Lesson Activity: Building Context
Lesson Activity: Building Context
Understanding the Black Death
Page 16
The bubonic plague of the 14th century ravaged communities across three continents. The plague left long-lasting consequences and ultimately helped transform the social order of Europe. You will compare two documents written in 1348 to consider how people experienced and understood the plague.
document A: University of Paris medical Report, Pg. 16A
document A: University of Paris medical Report, Pg. 16A
exert: apply force
wormwood: a fragrant plant
immoderate: excessive
wormwood: a fragrant plant
immoderate: excessive
The passage below is an excerpt from "The Report of the Paris Medical Faculty," issued in October 1348. In the report, the medical faculty at the University of Paris describe what they believed were the origins of the bubonic plague and provide advice on how to avoid contracting the plague.
We, the Members of the College of Physicians of Paris, ... intend to make known the causes of this plague.
We declare as follows: It is known that in India, and the area of the Great Sea, the constellations which combated the rays of the sun... exerted their power especially against the sea, ... and the waters of the ocean arose in the form of vapor. The waters were in some parts so corrupted that the fish died. This vapor spread itself through the air in many places on earth... On all the islands and adjoining countries to which the corrupted sea-wind extends,... if the inhabitants of those parts do not take the following advice we announce to them inevitable death -- except if the grace of Christ preserves their lives.
Every one of you should protect himself from the air; wormwood and chamomile should be burnt in great quantity in the market places and in the houses... Cold, moist, watery food is in general harmful. Going out at night, and even until three o'clock in the morning, is dangerous on account of the dew... Fasting is injurious and so is anxiety of mind, anger, and immoderate drinking and bathing... Everyone should remember this, but especially those who reside on the coast, or upon an island into which the poisonous wind has penetrated.
Source: The Report of the Paris Medical Faculty, October 1348.
document B: Ibn al-wardi, Pg. 16 B
document B: Ibn al-wardi, Pg. 16 B
camphor: a fragrant wax
sandal: a fragrant wood
sandal: a fragrant wood
The passage below is an excerpt from Ibn al-Wardi's "An Essay on the Report of the Pestilence." Iban al-Wardi was an Arab writer, philosopher, and historian who was alive in the Middle East during the plague. Here, he describes the effects of the plague on the city of Aleppo in Syria. In 1349, al-Wardi died from the plague.
The plague began in the land of darkness. China was not preserved from it. The plague infected the Indians in India, the Sind, the Persians, and the Crimea. The plague destroyed mankind in Cairo. It stilled all movement in Alexandria.
Then, the plague turned to Upper Egypt. The plague attacked Gaza, trapped Sidon, and Beirut. Next, it directed its shooting arrows to Damascus. There the plague sat like a lion on a throne and swayed with power, killing daily one thousand or more and destroying the population.
Oh God, it is acting by Your command. Lift this from us. It happens where You wish; keep the plague from us.
The plague caused the people of Aleppo the same disturbance. Oh, if you could see the nobles of Aleppo studying their books of medicine. They follow its remedies by eating dried and sour foods. The buboes which disturb men's lives are smeared with Armenian clay. Each man treated their health to make life more comfortable. They perfumed their homes with camphor, flowers, and sandal. They wore ruby rings and put onions, vinegar, and sardines together with the daily meal.
We ask God's forgiveness for our bad souls; the plague is surely part of His punishment. Some said: the air's corruption kills. I said: the love of corruption kills.
Source: Ibn al-Wardi's, "An Essay on the Report of the Pestilence," 1348.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK complete the Sourcing and Contextualization and Close Reading and Corroboration graphic organizers. Then, you will answer the final questions about the documents.
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
The Black Death
Page 17
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will develop a claim describing the impact the Black Death had on the world. Questions to consider include:
Why was the Black Death so significant to Medieval Europe?
What did people understand about the plague?
How could a disease such as the Black Death cause feudalism to decline?
lesson activity: building context
lesson activity: building context
The Crusades
Page 18
In 1095, Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade, calling forth knights and peasants from across Western Europe to march against Muslim Turks in the Byzantine Empire and ultimately "re-conquer" the holy city of Jerusalem. You will compare Christian and Muslim perspectives of the First Crusade by analyzing different accounts of the siege of Jerusalem.
extra!!!
extra!!!
Watch the video to learn more about the Crusades and why they were fought! Complete the journal journey slide in your NOTEBOOK.
document A: Raymond d'aguiliers, Pg. 18 A
document A: Raymond d'aguiliers, Pg. 18 A
Temple of Solomon: Temple of Solomon was a Jewish temple, first destroyed by the Babylonians and then by the Romans in 70 CE. In the 600s CE, Muslims built the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock on the same site.
bridle reins: headgear and rope used to control a horse
blasphemies: speech or behavior that is inappropriate towards God
bridle reins: headgear and rope used to control a horse
blasphemies: speech or behavior that is inappropriate towards God
Raymond d'Aguiliers was an eyewitness to the First Crusade. He followed the crusading armies to Jerusalem and wrote a history of his experiences. The passage below is a modified excerpt from his account of the Crusaders' siege of Jerusalem that he wrote sometime after the First Crusade.
Finally, our men took possession of the walls and towers, and wonderful sights were to be seen. Some of our men (and this was more merciful) cut off the heads of their enemies; others shot them with arrows, so that they fell from the towers. It was necessary to pick one's way over the bodies of men and horses. In the Temple of Solomon, men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins. Indeed, it was a just and splendid judgment of God that this place should be filled with the blood of the unbelievers, since it had suffered so long from their blasphemies. Some of the enemy took refuge in the Tower of David, and, petitioning Count Raymond for protection, surrendered the Tower into his hands.
How the pilgrims rejoiced and exulted and sang a new song to the Lord! On this day, the children of the apostles regained the city and fatherland for God and the fathers.
Source: Raymond d'Aguiliers, "The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem," exact date unknown.
document b: Ibn al-athir, Pg. 18B
document b: Ibn al-athir, Pg. 18B
Al-Aqsa Mosque: see note on Temple of Solomon above
Franks: Christians
Imams: Islamic leader
devout: very religious
candelabra: large candlesticks
Caliph: Islamic ruler
pillaged: rob violently
Franks: Christians
Imams: Islamic leader
devout: very religious
candelabra: large candlesticks
Caliph: Islamic ruler
pillaged: rob violently
Ibn al-Athir (1160-1233) was an Arab historian who wrote a history of the first three crusades, though he only witnessed the third one. The passage below is a modified excerpt from his account of the siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade.
Jerusalem was taken from the north on the morning of July 15, 1099. The population was put to the sword by the Franks, who pillaged the area for a week. A band of Muslims barricaded themselves into the Tower of David and fought on for several days. They were granted their lives in return for surrendering. The Franks honored their word, and the group left by night for Ascalon. In the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Franks slaughtered more than 70,000 people, among them a large number of Imams and Muslim scholars, devout men who had left their homelands to live lives of religious seclusion in the Holy Place. The Franks stripped the Dome of the Rock of more than forty silver candelabra and more than twenty gold ones, and a great deal more booty. Refugees reached Baghdad and told the Caliph's ministers a story that wrung their hearts and brought tears to their eyes. They begged for help, weeping so that their hearers wept with them as they described the sufferings of the Muslims in that Holy City: the men killed, the women and children taken prisoner, the homes pillaged.
Source: Excerpt from Ibn al-Athir's "The Complete History," written in 1231.
document c, Pg. 18 C
document c, Pg. 18 C
nefarious: wicked or criminal
At the noon hour on Friday, with trumpets sounding, amid great commotion the Franks entered the city... Men joyfully rushed into the city to pursue and kill the nefarious enemies, as their comrades were already doing. Many of our enemies fled to the roof of the temple of Solomon and were shot with arrows so that they fell to the ground dead. In this temple, almost 10,000 were killed. Indeed, if you had been there you would have seen our feet colored to our ankles with the blood of the slain. But what more shall I relate? None of them were left alive; neither women nor children were spared.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK complete the reading guides for documents A-C. You will then fill in the information on the European Civilizations worksheet.
lesson activity: building Context
lesson activity: building Context
Impact of the Crusades
Page 19
impact of the crusades
impact of the crusades
territorial expansion
territorial expansion
First, crusading played a major role in European territorial expansion. Crusading in northern and eastern Europe led to the expansion of kingdoms like Denmark and Sweden, as well as the creation of brand-new states, like Prussia. Traders and settlers, mostly German, profited from the crusades. In the Mediterranean Sea, crusading led to the colonization of many islands. Crusading led to the conquest of Spain and Portugal by the Muslim Empire, who controlled these nations until 1492 when the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I drove the last Muslim settlers out of the peninsula.
impact in europe
impact in europe
Second, the crusading movement impacted internal European development in a few important ways. The movement helped to militarize the medieval western Church. It also helped solidify the pope's control over the Church and both reflected and influenced devotional trends. For example, while there was some dedication to St. George from the early Middle Ages, the intensity of the devotion soared in Europe after he reportedly intervened miraculously at the Battle of Antioch during the First Crusade. Government institutions also evolved to meet the needs of crusading, such as improving or creating infrastructure within Europe.
impact world-wide
impact world-wide
Third, the crusading movement has left an imprint on the world as a whole. For example, many of the national flags of Europe incorporate a cross. These trends also impacted the Islamic world. The divisions of the Crusades are reflected in the global divisions, alliances, and ideologies of today. Crusaders traveling to the Holy Land or Islamic areas brought about a diffusion between the two cultures as Christian beliefs were reemphasized in the East and ancient Greek and Roman knowledge was reintroduced into the West.
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will complete the reading guide on the impact of the crusades. Questions to consider include:
How did the Crusades impact territories, borders, and nations?
How did the Crusades impact religious practice in both the West and the East?
How might the geography of Europe and the Holy Land have impacted Crusaders?
How did the Crusades impact the feudal system in Europe?
Did the Crusade cause civilizations in Europe to regress or renew themselves?
How is the impact of the Crusades still evident in the world today?
lesson activity: Building Context
lesson activity: Building Context
Economy in the Middle Ages
Page 20
trade
trade
The Crusaders returning from Palestine and other places brought back with them new luxuries, food, and ideas. Many people wanted more of these items. But how to get them? Independent merchants and traders made the oftentimes dangerous journey to gather these items. But how could they find buyers who wanted them? Thus was born the marketplace and later the trade fair.
The local marketplace
The local marketplace
In the villages, the people were looking for a way to buy or barter for some of these new luxury goods. Many towns and villages set up marketplaces. The marketplace was a spot where farmers could bring their extra food and animals and sell or trade them for other things. The market was usually held once a week. These local markets were very successful. The merchants handling the newer luxury items soon got into the act.
the new trade fairs
the new trade fairs
A new kind of marketplace sprang up, a traveling market. In this new kind of market, traders and merchants with new and luxury goods set up to sell their wares for a short time. These traveling markets would move from town to town. They would set up and stay for a week or two, selling what they had, then move to the next town.
Merchants had to pay to set up their space. They had to rent their space from the local noble. They also usually had to pay a tax to the king to actually become a merchant at the fair. Anyone who had excess goods to sell could set up at a trade fair, but everyone who set up had to pay the fees. As a merchant, you did not have to go to every town on the circuit. But enough merchants went to each town to make this new kind of marketplace a very big deal.
This gave the nobles and the king a new type of income. So everybody got what they wanted. The king and nobles got money to buy luxury goods. The merchants got to sell all the new goods that they had, and the peasants and villagers got exposed to new goods, new ideas, and different foods. In addition, during the trade fairs, there were many performers. Magicians, jugglers, musicians all appeared at the fairs and performed, while people threw them money, like street performers today.
increases in trade
increases in trade
A trade fair was a group of traveling merchants who would move from town to town selling their goods. These started small but quickly grew in size and importance. Many new things were being brought in from other places by ship and caravan. Sometimes it was the merchant himself who brought the goods from far away. Later the merchants would buy their goods in one place and sell to other merchants who would travel about. Along with their wares, these merchants brought their own money.
creation of banks
creation of banks
These merchants needed someone who could exchange their money for the local money. This lead to the creation of moneychangers. This was the start of the banking system since these moneychangers charged for the exchange of currency.
creation of money
creation of money
Barter or the exchange of one thing for another was becoming less popular. Traders wanted something small and light that they could carry easily. A trader didn't want to trade his silk for bushels of wheat. So the Nobles started trading silver and gold for what they wanted. Nobles had to find a way to get the gold and silver to trade.
To get the gold and silver they wanted, the nobles had to sell their crops or tax their peasants. Since peasants usually paid in crops, the nobles had an excess of food. So they sold the food to get gold and silver to buy the traders' merchandise. Many times the nobles didn't get enough for their crops to pay the merchants for goods. The nobles would then go to a moneylender to get money and would pledge their lands of repayment.
The nobles were not used to the idea that they had to pay back anything that they had borrowed. They were used to just taking what they wanted. The banks were owned and operated, for the most part, by merchants and traders and the new class of moneylenders and they wanted their money back. They went to the King. The king, also needing loans to run the Kingdom, had to keep them in business so the King ordered the nobles to pay back their loans.
The kings saw this as a great way to get money. They could tax the nobles, the merchants, and even the moneylenders.
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
lesson activity: developing a claim/formative assessment
Page 21
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK you will develop a claim that answers the prompt below:
How might changes to the economy of Europe lead to a decline in the feudal system of Medieval Europe?
lesson activity: summative assessment
lesson activity: summative assessment
Page 22
Directions: In your NOTEBOOK, write an essay that answers the following prompt: Using the sources and your knowledge of world history, write an essay that examines the changes that led to the decline of feudalism in Medieval Europe.
Use information from the task as well as background knowledge to complete this activity.
we have reached yet another end to a wonderful topic in ancient history. Let's go to Unit 6 Topic 2.
we have reached yet another end to a wonderful topic in ancient history. Let's go to Unit 6 Topic 2.
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