Scribd
Upload
1K views

Middle Ages Note Taking Guide

1. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe entered a period of instability and decline known as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages. Without Roman authority, Europe fragmented into smaller kingdoms that were frequently at war. 2. To protect themselves from invaders, lords offered land to vassals in exchange for military service, establishing a feudal system of loyalty and obligations. Peasants worked manorial lands in exchange for protection from their lord. 3. One exception was Charlemagne's Frankish Empire in the late 8th century, which briefly reunited much of Western Europe and established a more stable political environment before its fragmentation after his death.

Uploaded by

api-294843376
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views

Middle Ages Note Taking Guide

1. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe entered a period of instability and decline known as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages. Without Roman authority, Europe fragmented into smaller kingdoms that were frequently at war. 2. To protect themselves from invaders, lords offered land to vassals in exchange for military service, establishing a feudal system of loyalty and obligations. Peasants worked manorial lands in exchange for protection from their lord. 3. One exception was Charlemagne's Frankish Empire in the late 8th century, which briefly reunited much of Western Europe and established a more stable political environment before its fragmentation after his death.

Uploaded by

api-294843376
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Name

________________________________

Date _____________________ Pd

________

The Middle Ages: Feudalism & the Manorial System


I. The Middle Ages: Western Europe after the
fall of Rome
A. In the East, the Byzantine Empire became a
center for ___________ &
___________________________ culture
B. In the West, Europe grew _____________ & fell
into the _______________________________ from
500 to 1300 (Also known as the _________
Ages or Medieval era)
1. When barbarian kingdoms that conquered
Rome, Europe was plagued by constant
_________________
a. Warfare disrupted ________________,
destroyed Europes _________________, &
forced people to rural areas
b. Learning declined; Few people could
__________ or _____________
c. Greco-Roman culture was ____________________
d. Europe lost a common ______________________; Latin _________________ with local languages
to form Spanish, French, Italian
2. Without the __________ of the Roman Empire, Europe became divided into a series of
_______________ kingdoms
a. Germanic people lived in small communities led by ______________ & his loyal warriors
b. ______________________________ & loyalty were more important than citizenship
3. The Spread of Christianity during the Middle Ages
a. During the early Middle Ages, the Germanic kingdoms were slowly converted to
___________________________
b. The Catholic ______________ became involved in ____________________ (non-religious) issues
like road repair, aiding the poor, & helping _____________________________________________
expand their power
4. The _____________________ were the largest & most powerful of the
Germanic kingdoms in the early Middle Ages
a. Frankish kings allied with the
_________________________________________ & expanded their power
b. In 771, __________________________________________ (Charles the
Great) became _______________ of the Franks
c. Charlemagne was the greatest Medieval king because he did
something no other king was able to docreate an organized
_______________
i. Charlemagne _________________________________ the Frankish
empire

ii. He spread ___________________________________


iii. He created schools to train future _____________________
iv. He valued learning & built _______________________ in his empire
d. After Charlemagnes death in 814, his Frankish Empire was __________________ & lost
powerThis was the last opportunity to provide ____________________ in medieval Europe
5. From 800 to 1000, a 2nd major wave of ____________________ struck Europe led by Vikings,
Muslims, & Magyars (The 1st wave were the barbarians that attacked Rome)
a. These invasions caused widespread ____________ & suffering
b. Kings could not __________________ against invasionPeople stopped looking to
_____________ for protection
II. Feudalism & the Manorial System
A. ______________________ began in Europe as a way to offer ______________________:
1. Feudalism is based on land & loyalty
2. Land-owning lords offered land (called a _____________) to ____________________ in exchange for
their loyalty & promise to __________________________ the lords land
3. Feudal society

4. Lords built ___________________________ to


protect their territory from outside invasions
B. During the Middle Ages, the
__________________________ system was the way in
which people survived
1. The lords ______________ was called a
______________
2. The lord provided _____________________ with
housing, ___________________________, &
protection
3. In exchange, peasants ___________________ the
lord by working his land & providing a portion
of the __________ they produced
4. Manors were
____________________________________
communities; Everything that was
_______________ was produced on the manor

Kings (Monarchs)

Lords (Nobles)

Knights

Peasants & Serfs

5. Peasant life was hard: They paid ____________ to use the lords mill, had to get permission to
get ______________, & life expectancy was about ________ years old

You might also like