A Changing Europe Chapter 3 Section 1 Page 62 – 67

Norse in North America Leif Eriksson gave these instructions in 1001: “On alternate days we must gather grapes and cut vines, and then fell trees, to make a cargo for my ship.” Eriksson was a Norse (Viking) who many historians credit as being the first people from Europe to settle in the Americas. Examples of Viking ships.

Vinland Settlement Erickson described streams of plump salmon, and vines bent with the weight of juicy grapes. In 1009, about 100 Norse men and women establish a settlement called “Vinland” on present day Newfoundland. Viking colonization site at L'Anse-aux-Meadows, Newfoundland

Norse Sagas The Norse did not create maps or write reports of where they had been. They told epic tales of their travels called Sagas. For centuries, many overlooked these tales as just exaggerated stories. In the 1960s, archaeologists found traces of a Norse settlement on the island of Newfoundland. L'Anse-aux-Meadows, Newfoundland

Middle Ages in Europe About this same time, the Middle Ages in Europe were coming to an end. –The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 had marked the beginning of the Middle Ages in which Europe was broke up in hundreds of small kingdoms. –A system of government emerged called the Feudal System in which lords were mostly free to rule their lands or manors.

Decline of the Middle Ages Beginning around the year 1000, several changes began taking place in Europe. –Some people managed to leave their manors to work in towns. Towns during this time were very crowded and dirty. Garbage was tossed into the streets which helped to spread the Black Plague throughout Europe between 1347 and Pieter Bruegel's The Triumph of Death (c.1562) reflects the social upheaval and terror that followed the plague, which devastated medieval Europe.

Rise of the Middle Class As Europe recovered from the Black Plague, a new social class began to develop. –This middle class consisted of merchants, lawyers, doctors, and government officials. –These people focused their attentions on business and trade.

Crusades to the Holy Land Religion also played a role in opening the eyes of the Western Europeans to the rest of the world. –Between 1096 and 1270, Christians from Europe fought a series of wars against Muslims called the Crusades. Images of soldiers from the Crusades

Returning Crusaders Returning Crusaders brought back spices, silk, porcelain, ivory, and jewels from the markets of Southwest Asia. –From the Asians, Europeans learned about medicines, ways of preventing food from spoiling, and sailing instruments such as the astrolabe.

Rise of Nations in Europe Starting in the 1200s, European monarchs gained enough strength to begin forming nations such as France, England, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. –In Italy, merchants gained a monopoly over trade with Muslim markets. –Marco Polo spent 17 years in China. When he returned to Europe in 1295, his stories helped spark a period of renewed interest in learning. Portrait of Marco Polo

Renaissance Art and Science The Renaissance began about 1300 and lasted until about –Artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci created beautiful paintings and drawings. –William Shakespeare produced many great poems and plays. Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo Michelangelo The Last Supper by Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci Globe Theatre in LondonWilliam Shakespeare