II. Changes in Medieval Society

A. Growing Food Supply Europe’s rise to power would have been impossible without an increased food supply Horses – Replaced oxen during the Middle Ages – Able to do 3 times the work

B. Guilds Guilds – Organization of individuals who work in the same business or occupation Banded together to control the number of goods produced and the price of goods Artisan – Skilled craftsmen who produced goods by hand

C. Magna Carta For many years English kings ruled without limits 1215 – King John was forced to sign the most praised document in English history Magna Carta – Limits the power of the king and guarantees basic freedoms

D. Basic Freedoms Guaranteed 1) No taxation without representation 2) Trial by jury of peer 3) Equal protection under the law

E. Dante and Chaucer Two greatest writers of the Middle Ages Dante – Greatest work is The Divine Comedy Describes the passage through heaven, purgatory, and hell Criticizes inequality in society

Descriptions of Hell

Geoffrey Chaucer – Author of The Canterbury Tales Most famous book of the Middle Ages Pokes fun at the church and shows that it is greedy and corrupt

Travelers to Canterbury