THE MIDDLE AGES CHAPTER 10.1

MIDDLE AGES IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES, EUROPE HAD A RELATIVELY SMALL POPULATION, HOWEVER POPULATION INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FROM 1000 AND 1300, FROM 38 TO 74 MILLION. WHAT CAUSED THIS BIG INCREASE IN POPULATION? NO WAR, NO INVASIONS AND A DRAMATIC EXPANSION IN FOOD PRODUCTION AFTER 1000. FOOD PRODUCTION INCREASED BECAUSE OF CHANGE IN CLIMATE AIDED GROWING CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION MORE LAND WAS CULTIVATED. (CUT DOWN TREES AND DRAINED SWAMPS)

MIDDLE AGES CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY ALSO AIDED IN THE DEVELOPMENT IN FARMING. PEOPLE HARNESSED THE POWER OF WATER AND WIND TO DO JOBS ONCE DONE BY HUMANS. OBJECTS WERE NOW MADE OF IRON! VERY DURABLE! EXAMPLE OF TOOLS THAT ARE USED. AXES, HOES, SAWS, HAMMERS, AND NAILS! THE CARRUCA WAS ALSO A NEW INVENTION

CARRUCA UNLIKE EARLY PLOWS, THIS PLOW COULD EASILY TURN OVER HEAVY CLAY SOILS. BECAUSE FO THE WEIGHT OF THE CARRUCA, 6 TO 8 OXEN WERE NEEDED TO PULL IT. BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY IRON THAT WAS USED TO MAKE THE CARRUCA IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, SO EXPENSIVE THAT IN SOME CASES AN ENTIRE VILLAGE HAD TO BUY IT.

CROP PRODUCTION ANOTHER THING THAT AIDED IN CROP PRODUCTION WAS THE MOVE FROM A TWO TO A THREE FIELD ROTATION. ONE FIELD WAS PLANTED WHILE THE OTHERS REMAINED UNPLANTED. USUALLY THEIR WAS A SEASONAL SHIFT FROM ONE FIELD TO THE OTHER.

THE MANORAL SYSTEM A manor was an agricultural state run by a lord and worked by peasants or serfs. Much like lords and vassals from chapter 9. Serfs had to provide labor services, pay rent, and be subject to the lords control. By 800 probably 60 percent of Europe were serfs. The serfs would work about 3 days a week for their lords, farming, building barns, and digging ditches.

Life as a serf The serfs paid rent by giving the lords a share of every product they raised. They also paid the lords to use their streams, ponds, and surrounding woodlands to hunt. Example: If a serf fished in a lords pond he had to turn over part of his catch. Lords owned the serfs. They had political authority over them. Serfs could not leave the lords manor without permission. And serfs could not marry anyone outside the manor without the lords approval.

Life as a serf Their homes were made of wood, thin roofs. A majority of the homes had two rooms. One room for cooking, eating, and other activities, the other for sleeping. Homes had no windows and no chimneys

Peasant’s Wheel of Life Seasons of the year largely determined peasant activites, each season brought a new round of tasks. Harvest time – August and September Planting for winter crops – October Slaughter of excess livestock – November Land was plowed for planting spring crops – Feb and March. See page 318 in your books.

Revival of Trade With the production of food increasing, so did trade. As trade increased so did the demand for gold and silver. This sparked a revival of cities. Merchants began to settle in the old Roman empire, soon came the artisans and craftspeople. Many new cities or towns were also founded espeicaly in Northern Europe.

New Cities As new cities settled there was need for new government in those cities. There was still the system of feudalism in place. The only people who could vote or run for office where males who were born in that city or had been there for a certain period of time. Elections were carefully rigged to make sure that only Patricians – were elected. These new cities were surronded by stone walls. Houses were pressed against each other (no space) The threat of fire was great. Wood homes ( no ventalation) Human and animal waste in the streets.