1. High Middle Ages (Europe) 1000-1500

2. High Middle Ages
Objective: Analyze and discuss the social and political structures of the late Middle Ages.
Terms: William the Conqueror, Magna Carta, Crusades, Gothic, scholasticism, Black Death
Guiding Questions: Who had gained control of Jerusalem prior to the First Crusade? Why do you think Europeans took part in the Crusades? Who preserved the works of Greek and Roman philosophers? What were the elements of Gothic architecture? How did education change during the late Middle Ages?

3. What’s going on in England?
Struggle for power resulted in two new kingdoms, England and France. The people of England were known as Anglo Saxons, after the two Germanic tribes they came from.
In 1065, William the Conqueror (French duke) claimed the throne to Anglo-Saxon land. He invaded and ruled England from 1066 to He instituted feudalism and laid the foundation for a strong monarchy in England.
Video in notes.

5. Beginnings of Democracy
In 1215, King John of France levied taxes on nobles to support his war. Nobles joined together against the king and forced him to sign a document known as the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta provided a basic outline of rights for nobility. King John agreed not to collect any new taxes without the consent of important of advisors=NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! He also agreed to let any accused person be judged by a jury of his or her peers.
This means that the king had to obey the law or face being overthrown. Over time, the Magna Carta became the basis for key democratic ideas such as limits on executive power.

7. Crusades-The Main Event

8. Christians, Muslims, and the Holy Land
During the late 1000s, the Seljuk Turks, a Muslim people from Central Asia, captured Jerusalem and the area around it—known to Christians as the Holy Land.
Europeans marched to the Holy Land to take the Holy Land from the Muslims.
The First Crusade, lasted from 1096 to 1099, and was successful.
By 1291, when the Crusades ended, Muslims had regained control of the Holy Land.
Even though Christians failed at recapturing the Holy Land, the Crusades brought changes to Europe. Including the use of crossbows in warfare, advances in trade, and an increase in the power of European kings due to the number of nobles who died in the fighting.
Video in notes

10. Building and Learning Expansion of universities.
Gothic architecture: Gothic architecture attempted to reach the heavens with skyscraping cathedrals.
Discovery of Greek texts (“lost” in the fall of Rome) kept by Islamic scholars led to the study of philosophy. People attained an interests in math, science, the natural world, and how the world works. An attempt to bring together faith and reason was called scholasticism.

11. Art in the High Middle Ages

14. The Black Death 1347-1351 Not all changes were positive.
Also called The Plague and Bubonic Plague.
The plague, spread to different ports via trading ships. Rats on the ships carried the disease. The plague was spread to people by bites from fleas on the rats.
Entire towns and villages were wiped out between and Roughly 1/3 of Europe’s population died. People’s faith in God was shaken, and the church lost some of its power and importance.
Lots of people died. This has major economic repercussions. Workers demand higher wages. Relations between upper and lower classes changed. Peasants staging uprisings in several European countries.
Beginning of the end of feudalism.
Video in notes

17. Exit Ticket
1. Who had gained control of Jerusalem prior to the First Crusade? 2. Why do you think Europeans took part in the Crusades? 3. Who preserved the works of Greek and Roman philosophers? 4. What were the elements of Gothic architecture? 5. How did education change during the late Middle Ages?