Chapter 9: The High Middle Ages

Starting 1050, Europe experienced growth and prosperity

90% of Europe’s population was made up of peasants

• Serfs weren’t slaves

• Lords offered protection and justice to the serfs in exchange for services

Village farms were owned by a lord who lived in a manor house

• Manors had serfs who were under a lord’s authority

Marriage was seen as a type of alliance between two noble families

• Seal alliances

• Transfer property

• Have children

Ideals of being a knight consisted of a lifestyle that was made up of fighting, being loyal, being brave, having manners, and such by the end of the 12th century

The Crusades were religious wars of conflict against Europe’s non-Christian neighbors

• Expensive failures

• Worsened relationships between Christians and Muslims

• Encouraged growth of towns and trade

Medieval feudalism was practiced in places such as France, England, Spain, parts of Germany, etc.

Serfs and and poor freemen weren’t included in feudal arrangements

Guilds first appeared in European cities

• Apprentices learned crafts and trading from their masters

• Apprentices were able to become masters once they were able to make a masterpiece

Masterpieces were products that proved them worthy enough to be masters

The German Empire, which was called the Holy Roman Empire in 1254, wasn’t unified

• German princes, dukes, or bishops were practically independent rulers

The Holy Roman Emperor gained power under the Hapsburg dynasty

Holy Roman Empire was abolished under Napoleon in 1806

The role of the aristocracy changed due to the growth of royal power

Magna Carta

• Document that demanded that the king respect the rights and privileges of England’s nobility

• Acknowledged that the king wasn’t above the law

• Addressed concerns of the higher classes, not the lower classes