Middle Ages
by: Matthew Kramer
Middle Ages
The middle Ages lasted from the 5th to 15th century. It occurred in Europe and there were some very great times bu bad ones as well.
Feudalism and Manorialism
Feudalism and Manorialism
Feudalism is a group of legal and military customs. Manorialism is the organizing principal of rural economy. Everyone lived in a manor and rarely left. This is because a manor had everything you needed to live in it. The feudalism pyramid shows where every social class was in there society
Monarchs
Monarchs were the rulers or kings and queens during the Middle Ages. Two of the most well known were King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They were the rulers of Spain and united Castille and Aaragon when they married. The most famous thing they did and the worst was that they started the Spanish Inquisition. Another was Henry the fourth. He was actually excommunicated with the Catholic Church by Pope Gregory the seventh because he convinced people to overthrow the Pope. He eventually apologized to Gregory and his apology was accepted.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church was lead by the Pope. They were seen as spiritual leaders but became political leaders. The church was the most influential thing in the Middle Ages. Your level of dedication to the church was your piety . One of the most famous popes was pope Gregory VII. He excommunicated King Henry IV because of what he said. King Henry told people to overthrow him but in the end Pope Gregory was the one that ruled him. Another Pope was Pope Leo IX. He ruled in 1049 and reformed the Papacy.
The Black Death
The Black Death or Bubonic Plague was a disease that swept through Europe from 1347 to 1351. It started in Eastern Asia and came to Europe through rats carrying the fleas that carried the disease. The fleas jumped on the people and gave them the disease. The fleas made homes in garbage because the villages were very dirty. There were many bad symptoms including bleeding,fever,and the worst was your skin would rot. A lot of people fled there manors spreading it further but in some places the entire manor system fell apart. In the end the disease killed twenty-one to twenty-five million people.
Growth of cities
There was a huge demand for people after the Black Death. People moved from there manors to cities and there was a greater need for merchants. There were many advancements like cannons and the long bow during this time. The Medici family created the first banks and encouraged arts. A new type of architecture was introduced too.. It was called Gothic architecture.
Crusades
the Crusades or holy wars lasted 100 years each lasting about 3 years. Most of the crusades were unsuccessful. The most successful and the only one that was successful was the first one.It lasted from 1096 to 1099. The Christians regained control of Jerusalem. After this the Christians left Jerusalem unguarded and the Muslims regained control and the Christians never got it back. In the childrens crusade all of the soldiers were 12 to 14 year old kids but they never got to the Holy land.
Norman Invasions
Norman Invaders from the tip of France invaded the Saxons in England in the battle of Hastings. The Saxons were led by Harrold and the Normans were led by William the conqueror. The Normans won the Battle and William the Conqueror built castles and created the Doomsday book which was an account of everything everyone had in possession.
Spanish Inquisition
It lasted from 1492 to 1892 and was carried out by Ferdinand and Isabella.They did this to purify Spain of all non-Catholic believers. It took place in Aragon,Castille,Navarre,and Granada which are all in Spain. It was the Prosecution of all people who were not Catholic and they did this by torturing them and making them confess or name names. The two main torturing devices were the rack and the strappado.