Life in the Middle Ages

1. Life in the Middle Ages

2. Changes in Farming • Oxen are replaced by horsepower • Horses required more upkeep but could plow 3x as much land • Three-field system- allowed farmers to grow crops in more of an area (with a two-field system ½ of the land needs to rest) • Increased amount of food for villagers • Allowed better resistance of disease • Longer life Population growth!!!

3. Changes in work • Guilds- a group of business people working together to improve conditions • Helped maintain prices of good • Set standards for quality of work • Helped maintain proper wages • Monitored working conditions

4. A growing market place • We begin to see a commercial revolution • Result of expansion of trade and business • Trade • Mostly in town on fair days • As towns need more workers we see population growth– towns turn to cities! • Banking • As traders sell good at fairs they need a way to exchange currencies

5. Illiterate no more! • Christian scholars began visiting Muslim libraries • Study of Greek scholars • Building of universities • Mostly sons of artisans • Thomas Aquinas- scholar that argues that religious truths could be proved by logic (influenced by Aristotle)

6. The Crusades

7. Who are they • Crusader- someone who fights on behalf of a religious cause • 1096- 50,000-60,000 knights become crusaders • With a red cross on their armor, 3 groups went on a journey from which few would return

8. Cause of the Crusades • Pope’s goals: • Pope Urban II claimed to be the leader of all Christendom (what better way to show power than with an army of knights from all of Europe’s kingdoms.) • Hoped to reunite Byzantine and Roman Christians (Byzantines denied the pope a supreme head) • Knights’ goals: (mixed motives) • If they died on the Crusade, pope promised forgiveness of their sins • Crusades were a chance to win glory in battle • Wealth from conquered lands • Merchant’s goals: (played little part in the early Crusades) • Some supported it with loans, cash, ships to transport armies- all for a big fee • Wanted control of key trade routes

9. The 1st Crusade • 1097- met outside the walls of Constantinople (mostly Frenchmen) • Prepared for battle but not for the 2-year trek to Jerusalem. • Suffered from heat, thirst, hunger, fever, and battles along the way • Finally 12,000 knights (less than ¼ of the original army) reach Jerusalem • Capture the city • A dreadful slaughter follow • Muslim men and women chased down the streets and murdered • Jews were herded into a temple and burned to death • All in all they won a narrow strip of land (400-650 miles) 4 federal Crusader states were carved out of this territory, ruled by a French duke or count

10. The 2nd Crusade • Crusaders states were vulnerable to Muslim counterattack • 1144- Edessa reconquered by the Turks • Create a 2nd Crusade to recapture the city • Crusaders were unsuccessful (people were shocked at the loss and pushed the Church for a 3rd Crusade.)

11. 3rd Crusade (The king’s Crusade) • Led by 3 of Europe's most important monarchs (Phillip II of France, Frederick I (Barbarossa) of Germany, and English king Richard I (the Lionheart)) • Barbarossa fell from his horse and drown • Phillip caught a fever and went home or fought with Richard • King Richard got sick and Saladin send his personal physician to help. • The two come to a truce- Muslim rule where unarmed Christians could freely visit the city’s holy places.

13. Effects of Crusades • Call to go to Holy Land encourages thousands to leave homes • For women, this meant a chance to manage affairs on the estate or operate shops and inns • Expansion of trade between Europe and Southwest Asia • Lessened the power of the Pope • Weakened feudal nobility • Increased power of kings • Fall of Constantinople weakened the Byzantine Empire • For Muslims • Left a bitter taste in their mouth • For Jews • Crusades were a time of increased persecution