AP World Unit 1.6

Characteristics of the Middle Ages

Church bells: Crucial for the dictation of time.
European Interaction: Europeans borrowed ideas from other superior societies, including advancements in medicine, technology, education, government, and agriculture, but often displayed hostility towards their mentors.
Innovation: The era saw the introduction of new values and innovations that proved to be enduring.

Establishment: Prevailed in Europe from the 5^{th} to the 10^{th} century.
Definition: It was the economic and political framework defining the relationship between a landlord and a laborer.
Serfs: Laborers within this system were referred to as serfs.
Agricultural Progress: Initially marked by a lack of advanced technology and agricultural innovations, but saw improvements in the 9^{th} century with the adoption of the three-field system.
Vikings: Raiders from Scandinavia who believed in pagan gods and were known for swift attacks.

Organization: The Christian church was structured into parishes, each overseen by bishops. The Bishop of Rome gradually ascended to become the Pope.
Papal Power: Gregory I played a significant role in strengthening papal authority.
Conversion Efforts: Monks actively worked to convert Germanic peoples to Christianity. Clovis of the Franks was a pivotal early leader in this movement.
Monasteries: Served as stable centers of learning, where books were copied and preserved.

Agriculture: New agricultural techniques led to greater crop yields.
End of Viking Threat: The conversion of Vikings to Christianity contributed to the cessation of their raids and terror.
Population Growth: Encouraged the construction of cities and the expansion of trade networks.
Education: There was a notable spread of education and literacy.

Core Principles: Emphasized land protection, local government, and local self-sufficiency.
Foundation: Based fundamentally on the holding of land.
Feudal Contract: Defined the bond between the King and his lord, where the lord publicly pledged allegiance to the King.
Fief: The land bestowed upon a lord by the King, known as a fief.
Knights: Emerged as an important upper-class group, developing a refined code of conduct known as chivalry.
Power Dynamics: The combined influence of the Church and the aristocracy acted as a check on the power of the Kings.

Henry II (1154-1189):
- Expanded the King's power and developed the royal court system.
- Introduced the concept of common law.
- Experienced conflicts with the Catholic Church.
Magna Carta (1215):
- Established under King John.
- A landmark document that served to limit the King's power.

Year and Convenor: Established in 1295 by Edward I.
Purpose: Edward I summoned representatives from all sectors of society to meet and plan for war against France.
Structure: Led to the formation of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Reconquista: A successful endeavor to expel Muslims from Spain.
The Crusades: Considered the prime example of Europe's expansionist tendencies during this period.

New Orders: Saw the formation of the Dominican, Franciscan, and Poor Clares orders, dedicated to spreading the word of God.
Pope Gregory VII's Reforms: Reformed the Church by asserting its independence from state control and eliminating investiture (the practice of state appointment of bishops).

Philosophical Approach: Many religious scholars began to examine religion from a philosophical perspective, incorporating reason.
Faith vs. Reason: Other scholars contended that beliefs should primarily be based on faith.
Revived Learning: Witnessed a renewed study of classic Greek works, alongside significant engagement with Arab and Jewish scholarship.
Thomas Aquinas: Authored Summa Theologiae, advocating that faith comes first but also broadening the application of reason in theological discourse.
Emphasis: Placed greater emphasis on past learning and established teachings rather than on pursuing new research.

Religious Practices: People generally adhered to Christian rituals, often interwoven with elements of pagan practices.
Veneration: Increased devotion to Mary and other saints.
Artistic Themes: Art was almost exclusively dedicated to religious subjects and narratives.
Architecture: Saw the widespread adoption of Romanesque churches and the subsequent creation of Gothic architecture, characterized by ribs and flying buttresses.
Writing: Scholarly works were primarily written in Latin, but there was an increasing use of vernacular languages for other forms of literature.

Serf-Landlord Dynamics: Persistent struggles between serfs and landlords over rights and freedoms.
Banking: Emerged as a crucial enterprise, facilitating trade.
Capitalism: Trade provided the foundational origins of capitalism.
Commercial Law: Merchants developed their own commercial laws, enforced by city courts.
Guilds: Associations of individuals engaged in the same occupation:
- Craft Guilds: Regulated industry, dictated what was produced, set hours and wages, established quotas, and controlled prices.
- Merchant Guilds: Regulated trade, levied taxes on non-members, promoted fair business practices, and served as social clubs.
Fairs: Acted as vital centers of trade and commerce.

Domestic Importance: Women held significant roles within the home and generally enjoyed higher status compared to women in Islamic societies of the time.
Societal Shift: The latter period of the Middle Ages saw a gradual movement towards a more patriarchal societal structure.

Conflict: A prolonged war fought between France and England.
Stages: Comprised of four main stages, during which control over territory frequently swapped between England and France.
Joan of Arc: The 4^{th} stage (1421-1453) witnessed the rise of Joan of Arc, who led French forces to re-establish control over their land, driving the English out of all but one French city.
New Weaponry: Introduced new weapons such as the longbow and the cannon.
Definitions and Clarifications:
- Heretic: Someone who has committed an act or held a belief against the established church.
- Clergy: Priests or other religious officials.

Aristocratic Power: The power of the aristocracy eroded due to the introduction of new methods of fighting.
Intellectual & Philosophical Breakdown: Experienced a breakdown in established intellectual and philosophical frameworks.

1296 Bull: Pope Boniface VIII issued a bull (official statement by the Pope) declaring that kings were not permitted to tax the clergy.
Unam Sanctum (1302): A bull that proclaimed the existence of two powers on Earth: a heavenly power and an earthly power. It asserted that the heavenly power (the pope) held supremacy over the earthly power (kings). Philip IV, however, disregarded this declaration.
Abduction of Boniface VIII (1303): Philip IV orchestrated the kidnapping of Boniface VIII.
Avignon Papacy: Philip installed a French archbishop as pope and relocated the papacy to Avignon, France.
Schism: This led to a contentious debate over who the rightful pope was, with some viewing the Avignon popes as mere 'hired French hands.'
Return to Rome (1378): The papacy eventually moved back to Rome.
Pope Urban VI: Chosen to appease the Italian faction.
Clement VII: Months later, French cardinals selected Clement VII as a new pope, leading to further arguments over the true pontiff.
Great Schism: The issue of having two popes persisted from 1378 to 1417, a period known as the Great Schism.