1. Middle Ages Medieval Dark Ages
Section 1
Objectives

2. Why was Western Europe a frontier land during the Middle Ages?
From circa (about)500 to 1000 CE, Europe was a sparsely populated, underdeveloped area on the outskirts of a civilization.

3. How did Germanic kingdoms gain power in the early Middle Ages?
Clovis, a Frankish King, became a Christian and gained the alliance of the Roman Catholic Church and the Gaul

4. How did Charlemagne briefly reunite much of western Europe?
Charlemagne spread Christianity to the conquered peoples of his empire
Charlemagne appointed powerful nobles to rule local regions
Charlemagne sent out missi dominici to check on roads, listen to grievances, and see that justice was done.

5. Middle Ages Medieval Dark Ages
Section 2

6. How did feudalism shape medieval society?
Everyone had duties to others.
Nobles had responsibilities as both lords and vassals. Lords promised protection for vassals, and vassals pledged loyalty, money payments, advice, and 40 days military duty.
Chivalry raised women to a new status because it called for women to be protected and cherished.
Serfs were tied to the land

7. What was feudal life like for nobles and peasants?
Nobles—had to provide peasants with protection and with land for them to farm.
Peasants—worked several days a week farming the lord’s lands, repairing the lord’s roads, bridges, and fences, and paying the lord occasional fees.

8. What was the basis of the manor economy?
The manor was the lord’s estate, on which the land-bound serfs lived and worked.
Most manors included one or more villages and the surrounding lands.

9. Middle Ages Medieval Dark Ages
Section 3

10. How did the Church and its monks and nuns shape medieval life?
The Church administered sacraments, offered spiritual guidance, and provided care for the needy.
Daily life revolved around the Christian calendar
Monks & Nuns emphasized the value in hard work, preserved knowledge by copying and storing important texts, provided basic social services by tending the sick, helping the poor, setting up schools for children, and caring for travelers.

11. How did the power of the Church grow?
Feudal rulers often appointed Church officials to high government positions because of literacy.
The Church tried to end feudal warfare by declaring periods of truce.
Excommunications (banishment from sacraments & a Christian burial = Hell) & Interdictions (Excommunication of an entire town, region, or kingdom).

12. How did reformers work for change in the Church?
Francis preached poverty, humility, and love of God.
Dominic tried to combat heresy by preaching official Catholic beliefs.

13. What problems did Jewish communities face?
Christians turned anti-Semitic, or prejudice against Jews, during times of crisis and disease. Some Christians blamed Jews for the death of their Christ, while others blamed them for their economic woes. Jewish people were banned from many professions, except for banking due to the Catholic Church’s ban on usury (lending money at interest ).

14. Middle Ages Medieval Dark Ages
Section 4

15. How did new technologies spark an agricultural revolution?
Cause:
The horse harness allowed peasants to work faster, increasing their field size & plant more crops.
The iron plow, which replaced the wooden plow, was better suited for the heavy soil of northern Europe.
Effect:
Farmers produced more food and the population grew.

16. How did the revival of trade revolutionize commerce?
Trade increased throughout Europe, Cities and towns grew as centers of trade, New business practices evolved.
The use of money, banking, partnerships, insurance, and bills of exchange

17. How were guilds linked to the rise of towns and cities?
Guilds provided schools, hospitals, and support for members, widows, and orphans.