History Chapter 7

Charles Martel and the Battle of Tours

622 AD = the first year of the Muslim calendar (Anno Hijra I); 632 AD = Muslims begin expansion out of Arabian Peninsula across North Africa and the Middle East; 730 AD Muslims move first into Spain and then push into the south of Frankish territory; 732 AD = Frankish leader Charles Martel (the hammer) defeats the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD, ending the Islamic conquest of Europe (Muslims control Spain for the next 700 years), he also founds the Carolingian Dynasty Important bc defeats the Muslims at the Battle of Tours, ends the Islamic conquest of Europe, and found the Carolingian Dynasty

Bill of Exchange

A kind of credit system In an attempt to end the risk of carrying coins on long journeys merchants began using a bill of exchange Important bc it reduced the risks of merchants being stolen from on long journeys bc they no longer had to carry coins with them

Commercial Revolution

As trade revives, the use of money also reappears; merchants need money to purchase more goods; banking houses develop to loan money to merchants; capital is money that is used for investing New business practices: merchants began pooling their money together to form legal partnerships or corporations; to reduce risk on shipments which could be easily destroyed, merchants begin purchasing insurance; in an attempt to end the risk of carrying coins on long journeys merchants begin using a bill of exchange Important bc leads to many social changes: by 1200 AD money had undermined serfdom; feudal lords needed money to buy goods from the east...begin charging rent for their land not labor; peasants begin selling their produce to towns for money to pay the lord; serfs become tenant farmers instead of serfs as they pay lords for use of land; by the 12th century a middle class had emerged in medieval towns; medieval towns/cites develop where trade fairs were held (richest in northern Italy and Flanders), towns and cites with charters run and operated by inhabitants not a lord, old Roman roads restored to connect towns and aide in the spread of new ideas across Europe via trade; guilds Formed to run towns and protect workers (Even women can form guilds)...each guild represented a different type of merchant and artisan group, such as smiths, bakers, etc, were a way and important system for medieval towns to run themselves and stand up for the rights of workers; medieval towns = a few thousand residents, thick defensive, protective walls, Church and wealthy live in middle/center, very poor sanitation (diseases, fires, etc.); towns and cities played a vital role in the High Middle Ages

Agricultural Revolution

By 1000 Ad peasants had invented new ways to make their fields more productive; Europe itself became warmer around 950 AD, allowing for a longer growing season; This increase in productivity is referred to as the agricultural revolution. During this agricultural revolution, new technologies developed (800 AD-1000 AD) 1) the iron plow (that replaced the wooden plow) 2) the horse harness (which allowed horses to plow faster than oxen) 3) the windmill (that milled flour and grain more quickly) 4) the three field system (which was developed to ensure maximum productivity from the land by using separate fields for grains, fallow areas, and legumes to put nutrients back into soil) Important bc all of these inventions allowed for larger fields, and they also increased food production. Eventually, all of the new farming innovations allowed the manors to have enough goods and resources to trade, and they caused those living in manors to desire new goods that were not made on the manor Led to trade reviving The growing population desired goods not made on the manor; peasants need iron for farm tools; nobles want wool, spices, and luxury goods from the east; feudal warfare decrease = trade revival; new trade routes: Constantinople to Venice to Flanders and back; at first traders and their customers did business at trade fairs that were held once a year near rivers or where trade routes intersected; the sites of these trade fairs become the foundations of medieval towns and cities; towns were granted charters by a lord: given the land in exchange for a payment

Treaty of Verdun

Charlemagne dies in 814 AD and his empire is split between his 3 sons who immediately fight over land, 3 grandsons (Charles the Bald, Louis the German, Lothair) officially divide up empire with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD, empire is broken up into 3 separate kingdoms Important bc these kingdoms will devolve into feudalism when faced with more invasions like the Viking invasions that begin to wreck havoc across Europe in 900 AD, raiding monasteries in England and down the rivers of mainland Europe, some even making it as far as Constantinople and West Africa, plunging Europe into an even deeper dark age

Aachen and Latin learning

Charlemagne wants to make his capital city of Aachen a 2nd Rome, though only partially literate, he sees the need for record keeping to adequately run government, invites a well learned monk from England named Alcuin of York to set up schools, 1st curriculum (he controlled it) (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), becomes the basis of Latin learning and the University system in the later Middle Ages; Charlemagne has a lasting legacy, spreading Christianity through Northern Europe, Reviving Latin learning for a short time: monasteries will keep this alive, unifies the old Western Empire for a short time, further blends German, Christian, and Roman traditions

Missi Dominici

Charlemagne's government: gives land to nobles in exchange for loyalty (early feudalism), to make sure they are being loyal he uses Missi Dominici (eyes and ears of king), makes a uniform set of laws and appoints local judges to enforce it, spreads Christianity and builds local churches, requires Christians to pay tithe (1/10 of income) to the Church, Important bc helps Charlemagne exert control over his nobles and ensure that they are remaining loyal to him

Insurance

Helped reduce risk on shipments which could be easily destroyed Purchased by merchants Important bc allowed merchants to send goods on longer journeys during the Commercial Revolution after the Agricultural Revolution and trade reviving

Usury

Lending money at interest the profits made by merchants and bankers from usury were deemed immoral by the clergy Important bc caused moral conflict with the Church and the Christians

Knights and Chivalry

Most nobles trained from childhood to be a knight (mounted warrior), nobles fought each other constantly over land, family feuds, feudal warfare declined in the 1100s though knights will still fight in mock battles called tournaments; lords and vassals would build castles to protect themselves; noblewomen had many rights, they ran the manor when husbands were fighting, over time nobles developed a code of conduct called Chivalry, rules for war and combat that served as a code of conduct for knights during the Middle Ages Important bc even knights had rules they had to follow and showed that they were not completely immoral; according to chivalry, they had to treat captives well, not kill women and children, and not fight on certain holy days.

Charlemagne

Pepin the Short (715 AD-768 AD) gives the Papal Donations to Pope Stephen II (becomes the Papal States in Italy) Pepin's son is Charlemagne (Charles the Great) (Charles the Great), expands the Frankish kingdom over most of western Europe, rules the Franks for 46 years, 800 AD liberates Pope Leo III from rebellious nobles and in return Leo crowns him Holy Roman Emperor, new empire blends Roman, Christian, and Germanic customs (medieval), His government: gives land to nobles in exchange for loyalty (early feudalism), to make sure they are being loyal he uses Missi Dominici (eyes and ears of king), makes a uniform set of laws and appoints local judges to enforce it, spreads Christianity and builds local churches, requires Christians to pay tithe (1/10 of income) to the Church, wants to make his capital city of Aachen a 2nd Rome, though only partially literate, he sees the need for record keeping to adequately run government, invites a well learned monk from England named Alcuin of York to set up schools, 1st curriculum (he controlled it) (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), becomes the basis of Latin learning and the University system in the later Middle Ages, dies in 814 AD and empire split between his 3 sons who fight over land, 3 grandsons (Charles the Bald, Louis the German, Lothair) officially divide up empire with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 AD, empire is broken up into 3 separate kingdoms that will devolve into feudalism when faced with more invasions like the Viking invasions Important bc lasting legacy = spreads Christianity through Northern Europe, Revives Latin learning for a short time: monasteries will keep this alive, unifies the old Western Empire for a short time, further blends German, Christian, and Roman traditions

Clovis and the Franks

The Franks = 400-700 AD, a tribe that begins to dominate Western Europe; in 486 AD the Frankish king Clovis (466 AD-511 AD) conquers all of Gaul, rules with a blend of Germanic custom and Roman law, most importantly he converts to Roman Catholic Christianity, he and his descendants become powerful allies of the Church, his dynasty rules until 751 AD when a new Frankish leader emerges to face a great outside threat to Western Europe...the Muslims Important bc blends Germanic custom and Roman law and converts to Roman Catholic Christianity, becoming a powerful ally with the Church

Simony

The selling of Church offices Outlawed when by the 900s the clergy was living in luxury...marriage was even allowed, voices called out for reform, and circa (around) 900 AD Abbot Bernoulli of Cluny (monastery in eastern France) began a revival of Benedictine Rule, Cluniac reform spreads to the monasteries and convents to Europe, 1073 AD Pope Gregory VII extended Cluniac reforms to the entire Church 1) outlaws marriage for the clergy 2) outlaws simony (selling of Church offices) Important bc one of the major ways that the Church had become corrupted in the dark ages and one of the major reasons why reform was needed

Partnership

a group of merchants who joined together to finance a large-scale venture that would have been too costly for any individual trader

Middle Class

a group of people, including merchants, traders, and artisans, whose rank was between nobles and peasants

Friar

a medieval European monk who traveled from place to place preaching to the poor In the early 1200s a new kind of religious order develops; these orders went out and served in the secular world by helping the poor and preaching the Gospel St. Francis of Assisi (1181 AD-1226 AD) = Franciscans St. Dominic de Guzman (1170 AD-1221 AD) = Dominicans Nuns also founded preaching orders such as the Carmelites Important bc these friars and preaching orders actually left the monasteries and went out into the secular world to serve by helping the poor and preaching the Gospel

Troubadours

a wandering poet or singer of medieval Europe

Apprentice

a young person learning a trade from a master

Canon Law

body of laws of a church To control Christendom (all of Christian Europe), the Church develops its own set of laws called cannon law Important bc it leads the Church to develop its own courts to enforce it, use excommunication and interdict, and use its power as a force of peace by introducing the Peace of God and the Truce of God as ways to curb feudal warfare and Important bc it greatly contributed to Papal Supremacy and the Catholic Church becoming the most powerful force in the Middle Ages and gaining political autonomy with its own taxes, courts, and laws; Church teachings influence everyone in feudal society-from king to peasant, due to both temporal and religious authority, popes will begin to claim authority over all rulers in Europe

St. Benedict

came up with Benedictine Rule: rules drawn up in 530 by Benedict, a monk, regulating monastic life. The Rule emphasizes obedience, poverty, and chastity and divides the day into periods of worship, work, and study Medieval monks and nuns began the tradition of withdrawing from society to become closer to God Benedictines: 530 AD = Benedict of Nursia organized his first monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy; he institutes the Benedictine rule which said monks had to take vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience

Manor Economy

during the Middle Ages in Europe, a lord's estate which included one or more villages and the surrounding lands During 9th and 10th centuries, nobles fought constantly; relied on peasants to provide work and food for their manor (estate in their fief); manor included a castle with a village or several villages around it; peasants were bound to the land, they are called serfs...they give labor in exchange for protection; serfs pay the lord with produce for use of his mills, etc...also fixed roads and structures The manor was a self-sufficient world; peasants would not travel more than three miles from the manor in their lifetime Important bc since manors were so self-sufficient, peasants had no education or knowledge about the outside world

Excommunication

exclusion from the Roman Catholic Church as a penalty for refusing to obey Church law Denial of the sacraments The Church used this to control powerful nobles and kings; Important bc it greatly contributed to Papal Supremacy and the Catholic Church becoming the most powerful force in the Middle Ages and gaining political autonomy with its own taxes, courts, and laws; Church teachings influence everyone in feudal society-from king to peasant, due to both temporal and religious authority, popes will begin to claim authority over all rulers in Europe

Feudalism/Feudal Contract

feudalism: loosely organized system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater lord; feudal contract: exchange of pledges between lords and vassals After the breakdown of Charlemagne's empire, Western Europe is plunged into darkness by outside invasions (Vikings); poor frightened peasants seek protection but kings and emperors are too weak to provide it; a new political system emerges that provides local protection; Greater lords divide land among lesser lords who then pledge allegiance to the greater lord; lesser nobles would serve as mounted warriors (knights) for the greater lord in exchange for land; the lesser lord would become the greater lord's vassal in exchange for a gift of land Revolves around the idea of mutual obligation; feudal contract = unwritten rules governing the relationship between a lord ad vassal; king or lord gives vassal a fief (land) which the vassal may pass on to his heirs (children); vassal gives lord: military service (40 days), advice, and some form of a tax, plus a gift on holidays and special occasions; a vassal might have more than one lord give them land...they pick a liege lord who they are loyal to above all else; a vassal may be another person's lord Feudal justice = lords preserve order on their own land, based law mostly on custom since there were no written laws; innocence or guilt was thought to be ordained by God (Trial by Ordeal) Important bc a major system of government during the dark ages

Serfs

in medieval Europe, a peasant bound to the lord's land During 9th and 10th centuries, nobles fought constantly; relied on peasants to provide work and food for their manor (estate in their fief); manor included a castle with a village or several villages around it; peasants were bound to the land, they are called serfs...they give labor in exchange for protection; serfs pay the lord with produce for use of his mills, etc...also fixed roads and structures The manor was a self-sufficient world; peasants would not travel more than three miles from the manor in their lifetime Peasant life = extremely harsh, few peasants lived beyond 35, simple diet of black bread and vegetables (hardly any meat), lived in small shacks, slept on straw laid out on the ground with their livestock, worked the lord's land most days, only given a few days a week to grow their own food, only had a few days off a year for religious celebrations Important bc since manors were so self-sufficient, peasants had no education or knowledge about the outside world

Fief

in medieval Europe, an estate granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service and loyalty

Charters

in the Middle Ages, a written document that set out the rights and privileges of a town Towns were granted them by a lord; given the land in exchange for a payment Important bc allowed towns to spring up after the Agricultural Revolution and trade reviving

Guild

in the Middle Ages, an association of merchants or artisans who cooperated to uphold standards of their trade and to protect their economic interests Formed to run towns and protect workers (Even women can form guilds)...each guild represented a different type of merchant and artisan group, such as smiths, bakers, etc. Important bc a way and important system for medieval towns to run themselves and stand up for the rights of workers

Interdict

in the Roman Catholic Church, excommunication of an entire region, town, or kingdom Excommunication of a large number of people at one time Used by the Church to control powerful nobles and kings Important bc it greatly contributed to Papal Supremacy and the Catholic Church becoming the most powerful force in the Middle Ages and gaining political autonomy with its own taxes, courts, and laws; Church teachings influence everyone in feudal society-from king to peasant, due to both temporal and religious authority, popes will begin to claim authority over all rulers in Europe

Capital

money or wealth used to invest in business or enterprise Money that is used for investing Important bc allowed merchants to purchase more goods and banking houses to loan money to merchants during the Commercial Revolution after the Agricultural Revolution and trade reviving

Tenant Farmer

someone who would pay rent to a lord to farm part of the lord's land

Papal Supremacy

the claim of medieval popes that they had authority over all secular rulers Medieval popes begin to claim Papal Supremacy over all medieval lords and rulers; the pope owned vast lands in central Italy called the Papal States...lived like a king, bishops and archbishops had their own fiefs and were noblemen; priests on the other hand were usually commoners; since the clergy were educated they were used by kings and nobles as administrators; this allowed the Church hierarchy to become more involved in politics; this caused too many in the clergy becoming far more involved in secular affairs rather than focusing on religion Important bc it greatly contributed to the Catholic Church becoming the most powerful force in the Middle Ages and gaining political autonomy with its own taxes, courts, and laws; Church teachings influence everyone in feudal society-from king to peasant, due to both temporal and religious authority, popes will begin to claim authority over all rulers in Europe

Three-Field System

the three field system was developed to ensure maximum productivity from the land by using separate fields for grains, fallow areas, and legumes to put nutrients back into soil Involved one field is used for grains, another is left fallow, while another is planted with legumes, which put nutrients back into soil Important bc allowed for larger fields and increased food production