Victoria's Western Civ. Blog

Timeline: 1346 - The strain of Y.pestis emerges in Magnolia. Mongol King Janiberg and his army are in the nearby city of Tana when a brawl erupts between Italian merchants and a group of Muslims. May 1347 -  Both sides in the siege are decimated and survivors in Caffa escape by sea, leaving behind streets covered with corpses being fed on by feral animals. October 1347 -  Another Caffan ship docks in Sicily, the crew barely alive. Here the plague kills half the population and moves to Messina. Fleeing residents then spread it to mainland Italy, where one-third of the population is dead by the following summer. November 1347 -  The plague arrives in France, brought by another of the Caffa ships docking in Marseille. It spreads quickly through the country. January 1348 -  A different plague strain enters Europe through Genoa, brought by another Caffan ship that docks there. April 1348 -  The plague awakes an anti-Semitic rage around Europe, causing re...

Chapter 14 Section 4:  Reading Guide:  Factor 1 - The Great Schism: 1. When and how did the Great Schism begin? French King Phillip IV moved Pope to Avignon= weaken the church, later moved back to Rome= 2 Popes. 2. When and how was the Great Schism resolved? Council of Constance: forces both popes to resign. New Pope= Martin V 3. How did the Great Schism affect medieval life? People question the pope's power, Hus and Wycliff point out corruption and luxury of popes, moving away from reliance on church Factor 2: The Bubonic Plague: 4. Where did the plague begin and how did it spread? Fleas on rats on ships from Asia to Italy ports; spread along trade routes 5. What were some economic effects of the plague? town populations fell; not safe to travel= trade declines, prices rise, fewer workers, feudalism crumbles 6. How did the plague affect the Church? lost prestige and credibility when prayers and penance did not stop the plague; clergy charge money for las...

Chapter 14 Section 3:  Reading Guide:  1. How did this event affect the course of English history? William wins and unifies control of the lands and laid the foundation for centralized government 2. How did Henry II strengthen England’s legal system? introduced to use of a jury; common law 3. How did Philip strengthen the central government in France? he established royal officials called bailiffs; sent bailiffs to every French district to preside of King's court and collect taxes 4. Why is this document so important? it grants certain basic legal/political rights and it guaranteed what are now considered basic legal rights in the US 5. How did Louis strengthen the monarchy while weakening feudal ties? created a French appeals court that could overturn the decisions of local courts 6. How was this meeting a major step toward a democratic government? serve as a model for later kings and contained commoners; weakened the great lord's power and had a check on royal...

Chapter 14 Section 2:  Reading Guide:  1. Farmers began using a new type of harness that fitted across a horse’s chest. harness enabled the horses to pull a plow which replaced the oxen for plowing and pulling wagons  a team of horses could plow 3x as much land in a day as a team of oxen  horses cost more money than oxen because horses needed more upkeep 2. Using the three-field system, farmers began to grow crops on two-thirds of their land each year, rather than half. 2 of these fields were used immediately, while 1 lay fallow (resting) for 1 year,  With this new 3-field system, farmers could use 2/3 of their land annually instead of the usual 1/2,  Food production increased,  People had more to eat,  People could better resist disease and live longer  The European population grew dramatically 3. Merchant and craft guilds organize and change ways to do business. More and better products are available 4. The Commercial ...

Reading Guide:  1. The Benedictine monastery was founded at Cluny. The reformers there wanted to return to the basic principles of the Christian religion. 2. The power of the pope was extended. In the 1100s and 1200s, the Church was restructured to resemble a kingdom, with the pope at its head. 3. Nearly 500 Gothic cathedrals were built and decorated between 1170 and 1270. Unlike the heavy, gloomy Romanesque buildings, Gothic cathedrals thrust upward as if reaching toward heaven. 4. The Byzantine emperor appealed to the Count of Flanders for help. The emperor asked for help against the Muslim Turks. 5. Pope Urban II issued a call for a Crusade. Shortly after this appeal, he issued a call for what he termed a "holy war," a Crusade, to gain control of the Holy Land. 6. There was an outpouring of support for the First Crusade. Pope Urban's call brought a tremendous outpouring of religious feeling and support for the Crusade. 7. Four feudal ...

Reading Guide:  ACTIONS = ORANGE  CAUSES = GREEN  OUTCOMES = BLUE  1. Otto invades Italy on pope’s behalf.  Fallowing Charlemagne's footsteps.  Otto was rewarded by being crowned emperor. 2. Pope Gregory bans lay investiture.  The church began to resent the control that kings exercised over clergy and their offices.  Henry IV immediately called a meeting of German Bishops he appointed. 3. Henry IV travels to Canossa. Tired to win the Pope's forgiveness. Henry waited in snow for 3 days. Henry's ex-communication ended.  Henry rushed home and punished nobles who rebelled against him.  Pope gained even greater victory by humiliating him. 4. Representatives of the Church and the emperor meet in Worms. Gregory and Henry's successors fought over lay investiture until 1122. Compromise- The concordant of worms - the church alone could grant a bishop his ring and staff, yet the emperor had the appointment of a bishop....

Reading Guide:  Knight in Feudal society  1. Education -  devoted lives to war-no time for learning 2. Weapons and equipment -  leather saddles and stirrups kept soldiers from falling off, so they could carry heavier weapons. Wealth from fiefs meant knights could afford weapons, armor, and horses 3. War games -  tournaments-young knights, recreation w combat training, winners demanded ransoms from losers 4. Code of Chivalry -  a moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of  Chivalrous  conduct   5. Castle life -   lived inside castle walls, lord demanded 40 days of combat per year. Past time was training for war by wrestling and hunting 6. Romantic love -  duty to his lady as important as the duty to the lord. The Code of Chivalry made knights seem more romantic than brutal. Terms and Names:  chivalry-  a complex set of ideas tournament-  mock battles troubadour- t...