End of Europe’s Medieval Period

Battle of Hastings

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-normans-the-battle-of-hastings/10765.html

In 1066, Norman invaders killed the Saxon King, Harold, and established a new Monarchy in England, led by William the Conqueror.

England: Magna Carta & Parliament

In 1215, English barons rebelled against the taxes and forced loans being collected by King John.

King John was forced to sign an agreement promising not to take away any free man’s property or to imprison any free man without following procedures established by the laws of the land.

The Magna Carta, as it was called, guaranteed all free men the right to a trial by jury, and further forced the king to obtain the consent of a council of nobles for most new taxes.

Later English kings summoned nobles & representatives of the towns to grant them new taxes This led to the origins of Parliament

St. Thomas Aquinas: Early Progress in Thought

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) wrote at a time when Muslim & Jewish scholars had just discovered lost works of Aristotle.

Some Christian scholars felt such pre-Christian thinkers had no value.

Aquinas showed how these works by Aristotle were compatible with Christian teachings.

He said God had given man the power of reason to help him explain and interpret the world. Therefore, we should trust reason as well as

faith

Thomas Aquinas: Natural Laws

Aquinas also believed in the existence of “natural law” –universal laws independent of any laws passed by government These natural laws were based on reason

Aquinas thought humans could evaluate governments by using their understandings of natural laws

To him, if a human (govt) law conflicted with a natural law, then people did not need to obey it.

Aquinas thought people had the right to remove rulers who continually enacted unjust laws.

Major Causes of the end of Medieval Times

The CrusadesThe Great FamineThe Black DeathThe Hundred Years’ WarThe Great Schism

The Crusades

The Crusades exposed Europe to Eastern ideas & goods (like spices)

The desire for these goods sparked trade, which stimulated the economy and gave Europe even more exposure to the East.

Increased trade led to the growth of towns and the middle class which pushed Europe out of the feudal system.

The Great Famine (1313-1322)

Unusually heavy rains led to flooding.Eventually crops spoiled and livestock

drowned in waterlogged fields. This led to Famine

Farm animals needed for work were slaughtered for food & seed grain was eaten

This shortage of grain increased grain prices by more than six times.

Millions of people died from the famineMany questioned the church on why

this catastrophe was happening.

The Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

(1347-1351) This occurred only 25 years after the Great Famine

Rats with fleas carrying the disease entered Europe from Asia on trading ships.

Between 1347 & 1351, 25 Million people (1/3 of Europe’s population) died

People were buried in mass graves without receiving any blessing from the Church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbsSome blamed the JewsOthers claimed the plague was God’s punishment for sinful

livingThe Black death created a labor shortage in EuropeLarge numbers of peasants escaped from serfdom when

landowners and town, needing laborers, offered freedom in exchange for work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaspFUkcPjo

The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)

This war began when the French king died without an heir and the King of England claimed the French throne.

This long period of warfare slowly strengthened the royal power in both countries Both England & France developed a greater national feeling &

more loyalty to their kingInstead of relying on a feudal army based on the

service of his nobles, each king developed a standing army of foot soldiers

New weapons were developed like the English long bow and cannons which use gun powder

These helped make knights much less important in battle

Battle of Potiers

Joan of Arc

During the Hundred Years’ War, a young French maiden, named Joan of Arc, rallied the French troops around the heir to the throne.

She turned the tide when she successfully drove the English out of the city of Orleans & crowned the new French king at Rheims Cathedral

Later, Joan was captured and burned at the stake by the English as a witch

The Great Schism

The Pope often clashed with Europe’s secular rulers over power

In 1305, a Frenchman was elected Pope

He moved the Papacy to Avignon in France, from Rome

In 1378, an Italian was elected Pope who moved the Papacy back to Rome

French Cardinals claimed the election was unlawful and elected a French Pope to keep the Papacy in Avignon.

Great Schism

This schism (or split) greatly weakened the Church’s authority.

A Church Council made matters worse by electing a third Pope in 1409.

Finally, a new church Council deposed all three Popes, and elected a single Pope in 1417, but the Church’s prestige was greatly weakened

The Renaissance

As Europe left the Middle Ages, they would enter into a time known as “rebirth” of learning and scholarship This was a time of great intellectual and artistic

creativityThis was known as the RenaissanceThe Renaissance began in Italy because of its

strategic location along the Mediterranean SeaThe Renaissance was:

An Efflorescence of arts (visual & literary) and ideas in Europe that coincided with the rediscovery of Greek and Roman culture.