Untitled

AP European History: Unit 1a - The Late Middle Ages (Contextualizing the Renaissance and Reformation)

Major Theme

  • A series of crises in the Later Middle Ages before 1450 transformed European society and set the stage for the Renaissance.
  • Key crises included:
    • The Black Death (1347 - 1350)
    • The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)
    • The Babylonian Captivity (1309-1377) and Great Schism in the Catholic Church (c. 1377-1415)

I. The Black Death (1347 - 1350)

A. Causes
  1. Bubonic plague carried by fleas on Asian black rats, transported to Europe via ships.
  2. Overcrowded living conditions in cities; families often shared rooms/beds.
  3. Poor sanitation with garbage, excrement, and dead animals littering cities.
  4. Pre-plague malnutrition weakened immune systems:
    • 25% of early 14th-century harvests failed; instances of cannibalism.
  5. Hygiene practices were minimal; many avoided bathing due to fears of contaminated water.
B. Results
  • Estimated 1/3 of European population loss, especially in urban areas:
    • Nearly ½ of Florence's population perished.
  • Town economies suffered while the countryside was less affected.
  • Labor shortages led to higher wages for survivors:
    • Serfdom diminished in Western Europe.
    • Increased peasants' revolts, including:
      • English Peasant Revolt (1381)
      • Jacquerie in France (late 14th-early 15th c.)
    • Both revolts were initially crushed, but serfdom ended in England around 1550.
  • Jews were scapegoated and persecuted, furthering anti-Semitism.
  • Population levels did not return to pre-plague figures until the mid-16th century.

II. The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)

A. Causes
  • Conflict initiated by English claims over French lands, specifically Aquitaine.
B. Key Events
  1. Majority of the war occurred intermittently in France and the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium/Netherlands).
  2. English victories led to the threat of Paris by 1415.
  3. Joan of Arc (1429):
    • Inspired the French to victory at Orléans.
    • The French crown was strengthened as a result.
  4. Joan was captured and burned at stake by the English.
C. Results
  • France expelled the English, retaining control except for Calais.
  • The war heralded the beginning of state modernization in England and France.

III. Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church

A. Background and Impact
  1. The Catholic Church dominated European society post-Roman Empire, often more powerful than secular authorities.
  2. The Great Schism (1054) split Catholics in Western Europe from Eastern Orthodox in the Byzantine Empire.
B. Babylonian Captivity (1309-1377)
  1. A French pope established papacy in Avignon after a conflict with the French king.
  2. This led to a perception that popes were influenced by French authorities.
  3. Papal authority waned; significant economic damage ensued in Rome.
C. Great Schism (c. 1377-1417)
  1. Election of rival popes in Rome and Avignon led to confusion and loss of credibility.
D. Early Church Critics
  1. John Wyclif (c.1330-1384)
    • Advocated for scripture-only religious practices; his followers were known as Lollards.
    • Authored an English Bible translation.
  2. John Hus (c.1369-1415)
    • Nationalist leader in Bohemia; executed for political and religious dissent.
    • His followers, the Hussites, launched rebellions.

IV. Fall of the Byzantine Empire

A. Ruled southeastern Europe for nearly a millennium, known as the Eastern Roman Empire.
B. The Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, causing a mass exodus of scholars to Italy.
C. Resulting exposure to Greek philosophy fueled humanistic scholarship.

V. Scholasticism and Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274)

A. Established as a pivotal philosophy merging faith with reason.
B. Sought to harmonize Aristotelian thought with Christian doctrine,

  • Emphasized logic to justify church beliefs.
  • Dominated Catholic philosophy, establishing doctrines that support Church authority.

VI. Nationalist Literature of the Later Middle Ages

A. Growth of the vernacular represented by key works:

  • Dante Alighieri (1265-1321): "The Divine Comedy"
  • Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400): "Canterbury Tales"
    B. This literary movement contributed to national identity.

VII. Life in the Later Middle Ages

A. Marriage and Social Relationships
  1. Average marriage ages were mid-20s for men and 16-18 for women; marriage often motivated by economic factors rather than love.
B. Occupational Structures
  1. Most food production linked to agricultural cycles; limited craft artisan opportunities in towns.
  2. Decline in serfdom in Western Europe, yet it persisted and increased in some Eastern European regions.
C. Recreation and Leisure
  1. Diverse activities including jousting for the aristocracy and various sports for commoners, with alcohol prevalent in social practices.
  2. Increased lay management of parish lands.

Terms to Know

  • Black Death (bubonic plague)
  • Hundred Years’ War
  • Joan of Arc
  • English Peasant Revolt, 1381
  • John Wyclif, Lollards
  • John Hus, Hussites
  • Babylonian Captivity (Avignon)
  • Great Schism
  • Roman Catholic (Latin) Church
  • Vernacular
  • Byzantine Empire
  • Fall of Constantinople
  • Ottoman Empire
  • Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
  • Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales
  • Scholasticism, Thomas Aquinas
  • Eastern Orthodox (Greek) Church