1. 6Y 10-12-2016 Wednesday Europe before Transatlantic Travel
Objective: Describe how new ideas and trade changed the lives of Europeans.
Agenda:
Prayer
Do now: Write an A+ answer to the following: What is feudalism?
Read and take notes on Chapter 1.4
Homework: work on dioramas

2. Class Notes: Chapter 1.4 Europe Before Transatlantic Travel
Main Idea 1: The Greeks and the Romans established new forms of government.
Europeans got a lot of ideas from the Ancient Greek and Romans, especially about government.
To the Greeks, humans and reason are very important. They cared about fairness and ideas. This made them create democracy – a form of government where people rule themselves.
The Romans created a democratic republic – a government made of representatives chosen by the people. Important ideas: all people have a right to know the law, all people are equal, people are innocent until they are proven guilty.
Direct Democracy: everyone votes on everything
Republic: people pick representatives that they trust to create the laws and make decisions.

3. Main Idea 2: During the Middle Ages, society eventually changed from a feudal system with a middle class of artisans and merchants.
The Middle Ages lasted from about 500 Ad to 1500 AD. It was a time when Europe was divided into many small kingdoms that fought each other.
Feudalism:
King – the nobles/lords are loyal to the king, but he is not able to defend all of them. So the nobles have to rely on themselves and become powerful.
Nobles – Owned a lot of land. Paid soldiers, called knights to defend their lands, with land. IN return, knights pledged their loyalty to their noble/lord.
Knights – protected the land in return, they got their own lands.
Peasant- knights allowed peasants (the poor) to live on their land. In return peasants had to farm the land and give most of what they grew to the knights.
Feudalism led to more separated lands. But Europe was able to stay unified because of the Catholic Church. Everyone was Christian and was loyal to the Pope.
Crusades – Christian Europe fought Muslims in the Middle East to try and gain back land. Even though this was war, Europeans began to trade and get ideas from Muslims and the East. Europeans begin to become interested in the rest of the world.

4. Class notes (continued from yesterday)
Main Idea 2 Continued 5. Around 1000 AD, towns became bigger and stronger. There were bigger farms, more food, and more people. Soon kingdoms grew into powerful nation-states that could protect travelers. People traveled more and exchanged ideas with other nations and faraway lands, like Asia. EX: Marco Polo was a famous traveler who told Europeans about Asian spices, silk and riches. 6. Around the 1300s, the Black Plague arrives in Europe and kills about one third of the population. It killed many workers and peasants. Workers and peasants become more needed and they get paid more and become more powerful.