SOCIAL STUDIES POST CLASSICAL EUROPE

Decentralized

No strong central government after Rome’s fall, leading to local lords having power.

Vikings

Raided Europe from the 700s to 1000s, especially monasteries, causing instability that led to the development of Feudalism.

Charlemagne

Attempted to re-centralize Europe; crowned 'Holy Roman Emperor' by the Pope in 800 CE, resulting in a brief revival of learning.

Feudalism

A political system where land is exchanged for loyalty, involving lords granting fiefs to vassals who fight, while serfs work.

Manorialism

The economic structure of feudalism with self-sufficient manors and no trade, where serfs were tied to the land.

Code of Chivalry

A knightly honor code emphasizing loyalty, courage, and Christian duty.

Crusades (1095–1291)

Holy wars initiated by Pope Urban II to reclaim Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks.

Effects of the Crusades

Increased trade and learning, decreased Church power, increased royal power, and fostered distrust between Muslims and Christians.

Black Death (1347–1351)

A pandemic that killed one-third of Europe's population, weakened feudalism, and led many serfs to leave manors.

Dark Ages

The early medieval period (500–1000) characterized by a decline in trade, learning, and urban life.

100 Years War (1337–1453)

A conflict between France and England that fostered national identity, marked by Joan of Arc's leadership.

Nation-States

The rise of centralized monarchies in France, England, and Spain due to the fragmentation of Feudalism.

Agricultural Revolution

Innovations like the three-field system and iron plow that led to food surpluses and population growth.

Commercial Revolution

The growth of trade and towns, increased use of money, and the establishment of guilds as early unions.

Magna Carta (1215)

A document that limited the power of the king and laid the foundation for constitutional government.

Great Schism (1378–1417)

The division in the Catholic Church with two popes, leading to a decline in the authority of the Church.