LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES

The Black Death A devastating plague that ravaged Europe from 1347 to 1351 – Not only Europe, but also China, Central Asia, and North Africa Most devastating natural disaster in European history, with one-third of the population dying The most common form of the Black Death was the bubonic plague – This was usually spread by fleas that lived on rats – Another form was called the pneumonic plague and it was spread through the air by personal contact

Most historians think it started in 1346 when Mongol armies laying siege to a Black Sea port became sick with the plague – From there infected rats and fleas got onto ships – It usually followed trade routes The Black Death was almost always fatal – First sign of infection was the development of large dark splotches on the skin – Other symptoms usually appeared, such as high fever, vomiting, and severe headaches – Most people died within a few days Many people believed the plague was a punishment sent by God

The plague led to an outbreak of anti-Semitism (hostility towards Jews) and persecution was the worst in Germany The death of so many people had numerous consequences: population declined and lowered the demand for food, which resulted in falling prices – Landlords were paying more for labor as their incomes decreased – This all started to bring the downfall of the manorial system

Revival and Growth of Trade After the Crusades trade began to grow Most of the early trading cities were found in Italy, with Venice being the most important – Other Italian cities, wanting to get wealthy, created their own trade routes Trade in the north was dominated by the Hanseatic League – Group of northern German cities and towns that worked together to promote and protect trade

Medieval Trade

Many buyers and sellers met at trade fairs – Trade fairs were held in towns and drew huge crowds – Were usually held once a year – For everyday needs, people visited their weekly local markets Trade encouraged people to use money again – Before, workers had been paid with goods – This led to some merchants allowing their customers to buy goods on credit Credit = the promise of later payment – This also led to the creation of Europe’s first banks

In the 12 th century, craftspeople organized into business associations called guilds that played a leading role in urban economics – The primary functions of a guild was to restrict competition – Craft guilds set quality standards, specified methods of production, fixed the price of the finished product, and determined who could enter the guild A person who wanted to learn a trade first became an apprentice to a master craftsperson around the age of 8 – They received room and board, but no pay – After 5 to 7 years, apprentices became a journeyman who worked for pay for other masters – To become a master, they had to produce a masterpiece which the guild would judge

Growth of Towns and Cities The revival of trade led to a growth of towns and cities – Many peasants left their farms and moved to the cities hoping to make more money Merchants received charters from kings to build new towns – Merchants could run the towns how they wished and in return they paid taxes to the king Houses in the cities were crowded together and tall enough that they blocked the sunlight – Streets were narrow and winding, and usually filled with animal and human waste

– These cities were dirty and smelled bad – Fire was a great danger because houses were wooden – Disease and crime were also problems

Universities and Vernacular The university of Bologna is considered the first true university – The first university established in northern Europe was the University of Paris (1150) – Served as the model for Oxford University – Universities had to finance themselves, so instructors charged fees Teachers used lecture and there were no written exams – instead students had to answer questions out loud in front of the teacher – No women were allowed to attend these universities

Course of study called the liberal arts – Latin grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music In the 12 th century literature was being written in the vernacular – Vernacular = the everyday language of a particular region, the language that people spoke everyday – The most popular vernacular literature was troubadour poetry, which told of a knight’s love for a lady – Another type was the chanson de geste, or heroic epic