The Middle Ages

1. The Middle Ages Jeff B, Cam S, Devon M, Sam M, Misha S

2. Religion • The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe at the time • Lives of people were dominated by the church • Bishops and Archbishops played key roles in government • Parish priests came from poorer backgrounds • Bishops came from wealthy families • Village priests taught the bible and latin to the people of the town • Everyone went to church, including children • The Catholic church was based in Rome • Pope was in charge • People who were opposed to the church were treated badly • Priests collected taxes from the peasants • Only certain men could become priests • The churches were the biggest and most important building in the cities • Church had an influence upon law • Overall, the church was very powerful

3. Literary Happenings and Authors Early middle age books were painstakingly hand-copied illustrated by monks. Paper was a rarity, with vellum, made from calfskin, and parchment, made from lambskin. The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well assecular works. Just as in modern literature, it is a complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane, touching all points in-between. Works of literature are often grouped by place of origin, language, and genre. Famous Authors- Giovanni Boccaccio Soloman Ibn Gabirol Yehuda Halevi

4. Historical Events: • The Crusades(1095-1270)- a series of wars that european christians waged against the Muslims. the wars were fought over Jerusalem and the holy land. Although the Europeans ultimately failed to hold Jerusalem, they benefitted from their contact with the higher civilization of the Middle East. • Murder of Thomas Becket(1170)- Thomas had risen to prime minister and head of the catholic church in England. Thomas took sides with the pope during arguments with the king. The king asked if someone was going to rid him of Thomas. The kings knights took his words too literally and they murdered Thomas in his own church. • The magna Carta(1215)-The pope strongly backed king john, but english barons forced the king to sign the document. This document was meant to get rid of central power to the church and more power to the people. • The Black Death(1348-1349)-also known as the bubonic plague, Spread through England cutting the nation's population by a third. It was highly contagious and it was spread by fleas from infected rats. The reduced population lead to more leverage for the lower class against their overseers, and eventually lead to the serfs (slaves) freedom.

5. Historical events-pictures

6. Daily Life • Many people think of knights marching into battle or breakthroughs or discoveries made. • However, life for average people was very routine, and activities revolved around an agrarian calendar. • Most of the time was spent farming the land, trying to grow enough food to survive another year. • Social activities were very important, and every citizen was expected to attend. • The clothing of peasants were very bland and plain, while the clothing of royalty was very fancy and emphasis was put on the sleeves of the garments. • The clothing styles of Middle Age men changed periodically, as they do today. • Citizens of the Middle Ages played games, when there was a break in the often harsh daily life. • Most of these games included the use of dice, due to their ability to be carried and stored easily.

7. Daily Life

8. Development of language • William the conqueror led the Norman conquest of England, killing the last Anglo-saxon king and occupying England. • William sailed the English channel and captured Anglo-saxon lands, seeking to rule rather than kill. • The Norman conquest led to a mixture of early French and Anglo-saxon dialects. • A formal style of speaking was established for the first time.

9. Works Cited "Life During the Middle Ages." Life During the Middle Ages. Medieval-life.net, 2000. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. <http://www.medieval-life.net/life_main.htm>. • This source is credible for many reasons. There are little/no grammatical errors in the information, it is .net instead of .com, there are no ads, and the information presented is usefulk and accurate. "Religion in the Middle Ages." Camelot International. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.camelotintl.com/village/church.html>. • This source is definitely credible because the paragraphs have a lot of knowledge and insight to them. The information is valid and appropriate. Also the purpose is to inform about the Middle Ages. There is no bias and the information is well researched. "The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Home." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/>. This source is very useful because it has no ads and focuses on one thing only which is middle age literature. The information is also valid and up to date. The group that made this website only wrote about this particular subject.

10. Works Cites "Middle Ages Timeline." Middle Ages Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-timeline.htm> This source is credible because the information is updated recently. The only purpose is to present historical events and descriptions of important events.