THE MIDDLE AGES Fall of Rome Charlemagne's Empire Middle Ages – 3 stages

FALL OF ROME

ROME COLLAPSES  Why does Rome collapse? Well Good Question. The empire was too big to manage effectively, invaders from the East and the North threatened many cities and people eventually left making it even harder to govern people.  In approximately 500 the Roman Empire collapses.  People fled From the countryside from invaders from the north and the east  No central government to maintain roads, waterways, or public systems  Long distance travel became unsafe so trade became less common

CHANGING EMPIRES Roman Empire

CHARLEMAGNE Charlemagne (Charles the Great) reunited much of Europe. He built his empire by 800. He restored the church based education and revived Roman imperial government. The empire did not survive his 814 death. His sons divided territory and rulers after lacked talent. Local lords and city-states separated and went their own ways.

THE MIDDLE AGES -Though this era is often referred to as one period of time, this is not the case. -The middle ages (Medieval era) is divided in three periods: The Early Middle Ages The High Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages These periods do not have DEFINTE dates.

THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES  Often called the Dark Ages  Begins with the fall of Rome  Reign of Charlemagne  Christianity spread through Europe  The birth and rapid expansion of Islam

THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES  Crusades  Papacy struggles with secular governments  Intellectual renaissance  Universities established in Paris, Oxford, and Bologna  Explosion of stone-castle building  Construction of magnificent cathedrals in Europe  Feudalism was firmly established  Trade flourished  Europe was at an economic and cultural height

THE LATE MIDDLE AGES:  The Black Death wiped out up to 50% of the population  The church suffered reduced status when some of its priests refused to minister to the dying during the plague but enjoyed enormous profits in bequests from plague victims.  People began looking after each other which sowed the seeds of human rights

King Lord (Vassal) Knight (Vassal) Peasants & Serfs Feudalism: a political structure Manorialism: a social structure The king grants Fief in return for a vow of service A lord promises a knight property in return for military service The lord provides protection in return for taxes paid by the peasants on their goods and services (in the form of crops or labor) Serfs are not slaves but are owned by the Land where they live Peasants did not own the land they worked. They traded their work and a portion of their crops in return for protection.

Vocabulary: Keep Bailey Moat Great Hall Towers Gatehouse Drawbridge Outer ward Inner ward

COAT OF ARMS TELLS ABOUT YOUR FAMILY TREE & IS USED TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE IN BATTLE