The Middle Ages1066-1485

Norman Conquest• October 1066 Duke William defeats King Harold,

the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings• Radically affected English history, language, and

culture• Culture reflects both Anglo-Saxons and Normans• Brought emphasis on law and order• Provided cultural unity• Brought England into the mainstream European

civilization

William the Conqueror

• Illegitimate son of the previous duke of Normandy

• Believed the throne should be his• Efficient and ruthless soldier• Wanted to rule the Anglo-Saxons (not wipe

them out)• Gave land from fallen English lords to his own

men

The Domesday Book

• Due to William, an inventory of almost every piece of property was created

• People were able to be taxed based on ownership for the first time

Feudalism

• Based on hierarchy• Centralized military, political, and economic

power

Feudalism

Knighthood

• Males above the Serf class were expected to be warriors

• Training– Started at an early age– Trained away from home– “Dubbed” hit on the shoulder to prove his

knightliness• Knightly Code– Strict rules of conduct grounded on loyalty

Chivalry

• Comes from the French word “chevalier” (knight who rode a horse)

• Complete code of conduct– Loyalty to king– Faith in Christianity– Fair fighting– Respect for women– Aid to those in need

Courtly Love

• Knights had “special” female fans of high position – she was “out of reach”

• The knight would wear her colors or say kind things about her

• Idealized attitude about women• Did not change women’s social status• Lead to the “Romance” literary genre

Women

• No rights• Always subservient to a man (father, husband,

brother)• Her level respect depended on her “man’s”

status• Perceived value was the worth of the land she

brought into a marriage

City Classes

• People started moving to the cities as the population grew

• City Classes developed– Lower– Middle– Upper Middle

• Free from power of lords• Created art and literature for themselves

The Crusades

• 1095-1270• Series of wars between European Christians

and Muslims• Jerusalem and the Holy Land as prize• Exposed Europe and England to Middle East

civilization

Thomas à Becket• 1118-1170• Norman• Rose to great power under Henry II (Henry hoped to

gain power in disputes with the Church through Beckett)

• Named Arch Bishop of Canterbury• After Beckett took the pope’s side in too many

disputes, King Henry stated “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”

• 4 of Henry’s knights took him literally and murdered Beckett in his own cathedral

Thomas à Becket

• Named Saint Thomas the Martyr• Led to – Backlash against Henry II– Corruption in the Church

The Church

• Fostered unity throughout Europe• Continued to be the center for learning• Monasteries the libraries and publishers of

the time• Latin remained the international language of

the educated• The Pope = the king of all kings

The Magna Carta

• 1215 King John was forced to sign• Weakened the Church’s growing power• Became the basis for English constitutional

law

The 100 Years War

• 1st national war• England vs. France• Based on claims to the French throne by

Edward III and Henry V• Forced a cultural shift away from knights to

yeomen (small landowners)• Shift of power to yeoman after the fall of

feudalism which paves way for democracy

The Black Death

• 1348-1349• Highly contagious• Spread through fleas from infected rats• Reduced the population by 1/3• Created labor shortage• Gave the lower classes more power• Fall of feudalism/Serfs free