Chapter 19 Review Mr. Klein

Medieval Europe Europe is one huge peninsula surrounded by other smaller peninsulas. Most land lies 300 miles from the sea. Large navigable rivers throughout the continent wide and deep enough for ships to use. All of this provides a great environment for trade. Europe also has mountain ranges, Pyrenees and Alps, that divide the southern peninsulas from the rest of the continent. The rivers and mountains helped to keep one people from ever conquering all of Europe and encouraged the growth of unique, independent territories and people.

Franks Franks were a Germanic group that settled in France and Western Germany. In 481, Clovis became king of the Franks and became the first Germanic ruler to accept Catholic Christianity. Nearly all the Franks followed his lead. In 714 Charles “the hammer” Martel became mayor of the palace and made a deal with the pope to spread Christianity. In 732 Martel defeated the Muslims at the battle of Tours stopping the advance of Islam in Europe ensuring that Christianity would be the dominant religion of Europe.

Charlemagne In 768 Charles became king of the Franks and nearly doubled the size of his kingdom. By 800 he controlled most of Western Europe and was called Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, because of his many conquests. On Christmas day Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope. Charlemagne broke the territories up and they were ruled by counts to help him govern. Charlemagne was illiterate and wanted his people to be educated, learn to write and advance learning.

Invaders Muslims conquer most of Spain and raid France and Italy from North Africa. Magyars invade France and Italy from Hungary and Vikings invade from Scandinavia. Vikings, or Norsemen, lived in villages along fjords throughout Scandinavia. Vikings had little farmland so they depended on the sea. Ships of traders and raiders moved all over Europe. The longboat made it all possible because it was good on the open ocean and in a river. Vikings created civilizations in Russia, Ukraine, France and England. Also expanded across the Atlantic.

Church and its Influence Monks moved throughout Europe as missionaries setting up Monasteries to spread Christianity across the continent. By 1050 most Western Europeans were Catholic Christians. Monks and monasteries supplied schools and hospitals. They taught carpentry, weaving and helped make developments in farming. Copied Christian, Roman and Greek literary works and made illuminations. Monk men lived in a community headed by an abbot and women in convents headed by abbesses. As monasteries grew wealthy they came into conflict with rulers as their political influence increased.

Feudalism With invasions people looked to nobles for protection. Nobles governed a region in return for services. Knights fight in the army and protect the land. Peasants farm the land. This new political and social order is known as feudalism. Kingdoms were divided into hundreds of feudal territories. Feudalism based on loyalty and duty between nobles. Lords have high ranking authority and is protected by vassals. Vassal swears an oath to serve the lord in a public ceremony. Vassals ruled fief and were often knights.

Knights and Peasants Knights lived by a code of Chivalry. Many of todays ideas of manners come from chivalry. Knights trained by fighting with each other in tournaments. Knights were often at war and away from their castles. Castles were the center of an estate run by a lord. Vast number of people were peasants working on the manner. Freemen paid the noble to work the land. Most were serfs. Serfs were tied to the land, could not own property or move Nobles couldn’t sell serfs and had to protect them. Peasants worked long hours, year round. Life centered around the church and village green.

Farming Improvements One major improvement was a heavy wheeled plow with an iron blade. Plow made deeper cuts in the soil and meant less time in the fields for peasants. Horse collar was also important because a horse could then pull the plow and moves faster then oxen Harnessing water and wind power for mills to grind grain. Crop rotation was started to keep fields fertile. These improvements grew more food so Europe's population grew.

Towns and Cities Feudalism made Europe safer and more stable. Europe’s trade increased and towns grew larger and wealthy from trade. Large trading cities grew up along rivers and the sea. As cities grew so did the middle class that eventually demanded their rights from nobles. Craftspeople organized guilds that controlled business and trade in towns.