Social 9

1. Social 9 Introduction to the Middle Ages

2. Activity: Rome Fell, so What? • Directions: In pairs, you will be working through nine questions to try and figure out what life may have been like at the fall of the Roman empire in 476 AD. As the slides progress, answer the questions on each of the slides on a sheet of loose leaf.

4. Question ONE: Before Rome collapsed, what did it provide for the people living there? -provide as many answers as possible

5. Possible answers • Possible answers: • Roads • Protection (military) • Set of laws/rules to live by • Stable government and leadership • A structure to society (who has power, who does not) • A system of education and passing down knowledge • Anything worldview related • Infrastructure • Land ownership • Food creation and transportation (farming and aqueducts)

6. Question TWO: What are the most important needs do you need metnow that Rome cannot provide you with them?

7. protection, food, shelter

8. Question THREE: Are one of these needs more important to the other to the people living there? (Think about the reasons Rome collapsed. Is there something people are scared of?)

9. Protection

10. Angles and Saxons Russ Slavs Note: The Eastern Roman Empire is Still going strong

11. Question FOUR: What would have stayed the same (or at least similar)?

12. Worldview

13. Question FIVE: What examples of worldview do you think would still have existed even with Rome’s collapse?

14. Possible Answers • Christianity • Slavery • loyalty (they had been loyal to the Roman empire previously)

15. Question SIX: What is no longer necessary for survival? • What will happen to these things?

16. Possible Answer • Roads collapse • Formalized education ends (hence “Dark Ages”) • No social infrastructure • Little communication • Varying laws/government

17. Question SEVEN: How do you propose to meet all of your needs?

18. Possible Answers • live in small areas, close to farms so you don’t need roads • use resources you have at your disposal • live on a body of water • build shelter out of local materials • form military)

19. Questions EIGHT: How will you organize your civilization to make sure all your needs are met? (for example, what jobs are necessary to get stuff done?) • Questions NINE: How will you arrange for protection?

20. DEFINITE ANSWER • How will society be organized to meet the needs (protection, food, shelter) • FEUDAL SYSTEM • Upcoming slides will introduce feudal system

21. What is Feudalism? Feudalism: “loosely organized system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other support to a greater lord.”

23. Feudalism (political system)So who is in charge? • The kings had plenty of land; but he could not control it all • So he gave land to lords in exchange for protection, loyalty and $. • Lords then gave their land to knights in exchange for protection, loyalty and $. • Knights let serfs (peasants) work the land and he would protect them. • Serfs got food and shelter. • Thus, each person had rights and responsibilities Higher lords

25. Need a break? Stop and recap

26. Manor LifeSo where do the people live? • In Medieval Europe, people lived on manors • self-sufficient communities consisting of a castle, church, village and surrounding farmlands. • Serfs work land and give part of their crops to the local (land) lord, for letting them farm the land.

27. Common Pasture (or "Green")

28. Problems with Feudalism • Possible to have allegiances to more than one person. • No strong central government. • King must ask his lords for knights in time of war. • King must ask his lords for money to pay for things. • Lords hold most of the power. • Lords constantly fighting among themselves.

29. How to Gain / Stay in Power • GET More LAND!! • More land = more crops = more $ • How to Get More Land? • Conquer it • Medieval times saw constant fighting • Marry into it • Make Alliances • It helps to have friends. • Marry off your daughter to secure an alliance.