The Influence of the Church
Section 3
Monasteries-
During the Middle Ages, many people were so inspired by the teachings of Jesus that they left their families and entered special communities to live simple religious lives.
These communities were called monasteries and convents.
Monks- Religious men who lived and worked in monasteries
Nuns- Religious women who lived and worked in convents
What do a manor, monastery, and convent have in common? They
were all self-sufficient
What was at the heart of a monastery and convent? The church
Cathedral-a large, very
elaborate church
Benedict-a monk in the 6th century who said that monks must keep busy either in labor or religious works
What was the daily life of a monk
or nun like? Getting up early, praying, hard work, and reading bibles
***Where did learning occur in the Middle Ages? In the
monasteries
Scriptorium-below the library where the monks copied
bibles and other books by
hand
What did scribes do?
1.illustrations for books
2.drawings of life in the monasteries
3.copying books and other texts
Saints-men and women thought to be especially holy
St. Francis of Assisi-Italian monk, known for his love
of all living things
Franciscans-people who follow the ideas of St. Francis
What very important did scribes make to civilization? Art,
recording history, and preserving books by copying them
The Age of Faith-
3 names for this period of time
1.Age of Faith
2.Middle Ages
3.Dark Ages
Why was it also called the Age of
Faith? Because religion was so important to the people
Cathedrals-very fancy, elaborate church
What purpose did the cathedrals serve? The stained glass
windows showed stories from the Bible and illustrated the lives of the saints
Chartres Cathedra-Located in France, one of the fanciest
cathedrals
A Time of Change
Section 4
The Crusades-
What was the main religion during the Middle Ages? Christianity
What other religion was growing in the Middle East at this time? Islam
Muslim means faithful in Arabic.
What holy city is sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? Jerusalem
Where is Palestine? In the
Middle East, at the far eastern end of the Mediterranean
Holy Land- The area of
Palestine where Christianity began
Why was the holy land special to
the Christians? It was where Jesus was born and where Christianity began
This region was also holy to Jews and Muslims.
Every year many European Christians made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Pilgrimage-a journey to a holy place for religious purposes
Who came to power around 1000 A.D.? Seljuk Turks
What happened? The Turks killed Christian Pilgrims by the thousands
What did Pope Urban II do? He
called for Christians to join together to go to the Holy Land, to take back the
Holy Land
This began a series of wars known as the Crusades,
Crusades-Holy Wars
What was the purpose of the Crusades? To take back the Holy Lands from the Turks
Lessons of the Crusades-
What were the immediate results of the Crusades?
1.The Holy Lands were not captured
2.Many innocent people were killed
To reach the Holy Land, Europeans had to travel great distances
***What were the positive results of the Crusades?
1.trade increased
2.began exploration
3.towns and villages grew
4.new learning
What 2 cities sent trading ships to the Middle East?
1.Venice
2.Genoa
What types of food did they return with? Sugar, rice,
oranges, lemons, pepper, and cinnamon
Europeans wanted a steady supply of these goods.
This began a lively trade and brought riches to many European merchants and their towns
******Therefore, the Crusades were responsible for the rise of towns and the growth of commerce.
The Growth of Towns and Commerce
Commerce- buying and selling goods
Old Roman Roads were repaired and new ones were built. The crossroads became busy marketplaces.
Marketplace- like a fair or
carnival for buying and selling goods
By 1200 A.D., many new towns had grown up around marketplaces. Artisans, merchants, and peasants from nearby manors were drawn to towns, bringing their surplus crops and livestock to sell.
Peasants- poorer people from
the manors (serfs)
Surplus- an extra supply of
goods
The Growth of Guilds
As towns grew, larger groups called guilds were formed to control trade.
Artisans-craft workers, blacksmiths, bakers
Guilds-an organization of
people who performed the same craft
-Guilds were formed for bakers, metalworker, weavers, shoemakers, candle makers, and other artisans
-The guild system had its own set of rules and only opened its door to proven masters of the trade.
Steps to mastering a trade:
1.apprentice-children who were
sent to live with a master craftsman. They
began learning the trade, but they weren’t paid. (3-12 years)
2.journyman-after training was
finished; a journeyman was paid for a days work (at least 3 years)
3.master craftsman-after
making a “master piece”, you became a master, could belong to a guild, and
open a shop
The Great Charter
From the first Crusade, many Europeans, including lords, thought that the kings, queens, and Popes had too much power. As towns and commerce grew, people wanted more rights and freedoms.
In 1199, King John began to rule England.
***King John was extravagant (had a costly way of life). He fell into debt and forced the peasants, nobles, and middle class to pay higher taxes. Anyone who could not pay was thrown into prison without a trial by jury. By 1215, the nobles and lords drew up a charter listing their demands and presented it to the king. This statement of rights is called the Magna Carta, which means Great Charter in Latin.
What 2 reasons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta?
1.His army of knights supported it.
2.He was broke, needed $
***The Magna Carta became a very important document in England. It was one of the first documents that limited the power of the monarch (king or queen). It is now called the cornerstone of English democracy. It established the idea that the king must live by the law and gave more rights to the common people.
The Legacy of the Middle Ages
In the years following the Crusades, feudalism declined and commerce grew. The idea of the Magna Carta spread throughout Europe.