1. The Dark Ages
Game of thrones Anyone?

2. Decline of rome
Last Latin speaking emperor lost power in Rome in 476 CE
Centralized political authority, long distance trade, urbanization, and literacy declined in Western Europe
Germanic tribes flooded into the region and created small kingdoms and tribes
War was common, no stability

3. Carolingian dynasty
From 751 to 814 the Carolingian Dynasty of the Franks created political unity and a cultural revival
They gained and expanded their power through alliance with Roman Catholic Church
Pope crowned the first Carolingian King, Pepin “the king by the grace of God”
Started tradition of pope claiming the right to give political power to kings

4. Charlemagne He built an empire that spanned most of Central Europe
Pope re-enforced this power by crowning him the “Roman Emperor” in 800
Europe briefly enjoyed a level of political unity that was unseen since the fall of Rome
He sponsored the creation of schools

5. Charlemagne
Weak leadership by heirs reversed much of centralization and cultural revival and Europe became a largely feudal society after his death in 814

6. Manors: Economic side of Feudalism
Basic economic arrangement based on the obligations between a lord and his serfs
Lord provided serfs with housing, farmland and protection from bandits
Serf tended the lord’s lands, cared for his animals, and performed other tasks

7. Self-Contained World
Peasants rarely traveled more than 25 miles from their own manor
Consisted of the lord’s manor house, a church, and a workshop
15 to 30 families lived in a village on a manor
Completely self-sufficient community

8. Harshness of Manor life
Peasants had to pay a tax on all grain created in the mill
Paid a tax on marriage, only occurred with lord’s consent
Peasant families owed the village priest a tithe-church tax, one- tenth of their income
Lived in crowded cottages, close to their neighbors and had very simple diets

9. Harshness of Manor lIfe
Most serfs lives were completely dominated by work
Children were sent to work as soon as their were of age and did not survive to adulthood
Average life expectancy was 35 and never traveled more than 25 miles
They accepted this life because the Church taught them that God determined a person’s place in society