Come explore the days of the Middle Ages! Following the end of the western Roman empire around A.D. 500, Europe entered a new era of history. This period became known as the Middle Ages. It lies between the Roman period and about 1400.

The Frankish Empire
The Manor
The People of the Middle Ages
The Growth of Towns



The Frankish Empire


The breakdown of the Roman empire brought great changes for the people of Europe. Many small kingdoms developed. Of these small kingdoms in western Europe, one rose to great power in the 700s. This kingdom, ruled by people called the Franks, was based in present day France. The Franks built an empire that was the richest and largest in Europe since the Roman times. Look at the map below.


Charlemagne's Empire



Activity:

1. Look at the map above. What is the relationship of the city of Aachen (also known as Aix-la-Chapelle) to Rome?
2. Which Mediterranean islands were part of the Frankish empire? Use the historical map of the empire. (The Frankish Empire, also known as Charles the Great Empire, is marked in green.)
3. Compare the Frankish empire to modern Europe. Into what countries beyond France did its boundaries extend?
4. View A Knightly Timeline of the Middle Ages and create your own timeline depicting major battles and the evolution of the knight.




Charlemagne

The greatest leader of the Franks was called Charles the Great or Charlemagne. As his armies conquered lands across Europe, they spread Christianity. Charlemagne's biggest achievement came in 800, when he arrived in Rome. The leader of the Roman Church, Pope Leo III, placed a golden crown of Charlemagne's head and declared him Emperor.





The ManorThe Manor

During the Middle Ages, the manor was almost a world within itself. Some manors were so large that they included several villages as well as many acres of farmland. Often things that were needed were grown or made right on the manor. This meant that money was not needed to buy goods. It also meant that most people seldom left the manor during their entire lives.


Activity:

Complete this Project Based Learning Activity to learn about the manor and to compare it to our community today.



The People of the Middle Ages

Starting around A.D. 800 a system called feudalism developed in Europe. Feudalism is a way of organizing and governing society, based on land and service. Feudalism required that people behave in certain ways and were placed in a certain order within their society.

At the top of the feudal society was the noble, called the lord, who owned the manor. The lord had total control over his manor. In some parts of Europe, the lord also had to serve a king.

The lord's wife was the lady of the manor and was in charge of castle affairs. When the lord was away, she often led the defense of the castle is it was attacked.

Manor lords chose nobles who did not own land to serve as vassals. Vassals took an oath of loyalty to the lord, pledging to serve him. Next to the lord, vassals were the most powerful people in feudal society.

The most important duty of a vassal was to serve as the lord's knight. Knights were soldiers who protected the manor. Sometimes they traveled with their lords to fight in distant lands.

The son of a noble began preparing for knighthood when he was young. The stages in a knight's training included:

Page: This stage began at age seven. The boy left home to live an train in a knight's household. There he learned to behave with courtesy and handle small weapons.

Squire: This was the second stage which began from the ages of 15 to 20. A short church ceremony marked taking this step. The squire was blessed by a priest and given a sword and a belt. The young noble began to ride into battle alongside the knight.

Knight: Becoming a knight marked "graduation." In a special ceremony he knelt before the king who dubbed him a knight by tapping him with a sword three times.

Most Europeans were serfs or village craftworkers. Craftworkers were free, but they had to follow the rules of the nobles. Serfs were given some land to farm for themselves, but they had to work the lord's land too. They had to pay rents and taxes to the lord. Life was short and difficult and few serfs lived past the age of 40.

Activity:

Select one of these activities to research the people of the middle ages.

  • Webquest: Women In Medieval Times
  • Independent Study of a Knight, Merchant, Nun, or Peasant



    The Growth of Towns

    As Europe's economy began to change around A.D. 1000, so too did the makeup of the communities. Nobles began to spend less time in battle and more time on the manors. Nobles increased their farmlands and crop surpluses occurred. Towns developed to provide a marketplace for the surpluses.

    The marketplaces flourished with European traders exchanging goods like grains, wool cloth, and wine for spices and silk from Asia and Africa.

    Some of the people passing through Europe's towns during this time were traveling musicians. These people of the 1100s and 1200s were called troubadours and minstrels. They wrote and performed songs about love and life for the nobles.

    Activity:

  • Create your own ballad!

  • Check out the food served in the Middle Ages!





    • This site designed by: Valerie Mattes
    Original date: Monday, July 30, 2001
    Last update: Sunday, June 3, 2007