Chapter 14- Development of the Latin West

Rise of Scholasticism

Jan 1, 1200

Scholasticism was a way of thinking encouraged in Medieval European universities that combined the ideas of Ancient Greek thinkers, like Aristotle, and religious teachings. St. Thomas Aquinas was a famous scholastic thinker that mixed natural law and political thinking and is known for his founding of Thomism. Because of his works, he was canonized as the Patron Saint of Catholic educational establishments. Scholasticism faded in the 1700s because of its defense of "indisputable" Catholic belief

Rise of Humanism

Jan 30, 1200

Humanism, the studies of art, history, and literature that returned the Roman and Greek ways of thining to Europe helped the Latin West abandon its long period of intellectual isolation. Some of the most influential literary pieces of the time were "Divine Comedy" by Dante Aligheri, and "Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer.These authors helped influnce other humanists, such as Perterarch and Bocaccio. Humanists worked to reform secondary education and restore original Latin and Greek texts.

Fourth Crusade

Jan 1, 1204

The Fourth Crusade's original intention was to conquer the Holy Land of Jerusalem, controlled by the Muslims at the beginning of the 13th century, a plan the Western Europeans looked to the Byzantine Empire for support for. In the early months of 1203, there was an agreement between the two powers, but as time led on, clashes began, emperor Alexis Angelos was murdered and the Crusaders made the decision to conquer Constantinople. This was considered one of the final actions of the Great Schism.

Magna Carta

Jun 15, 1215

The Magna Carter, "The Great Charter" translated from Latin, was an agreement signed by King John of England. Written by Pope Innocent III to restict the powers of the Monarch, it stated that the ruler must be held accountable under the law, like his subjects. The barons had orignially revolted against the King after he had placed unnecessary taxes on the Church following his excommunication and led an unsuccessful invasion of France. It became Europe's first written Constitution.

Portugal Established

Jan 1, 1249

Toward the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, the Iberian Peninsula was under the Muslim control of the Moors. The Christians acheived the reconquest of the territory.Alfonso IV, the ruler of the kingdom of Leon and Castille established the county of Portucale. Other kingdoms were taken back with the help of other European crusaders and the conquest of Algarve in 1249 established the country of Portugal, later a major influence on Europe and the New World in the 1500s

Hundred Years War

Jan 1, 1337

The Hundred Years War, labeled falsely, actually lasted 116 years from 1337-1453 ACE. The war wast constant conflict between the House of Platagnent of the kingdom of England and the House of Valois of the kingdom of France. The clashes began with attacks from the French on English owned-land of King Edward's in France, and his self-proclamation as the Kind of France. The war was significant with its military technology, such as the crossbow. France won with aid from the powerful canon.

Black Death

Jan 1, 1346

The Black Death, more formally known as the Bubonic Plague was one of the most deadly spreads of disease in history. The illness attacked Europe for two years, especially in Italy and Southern France. It was carried over from the Crimean City of Kaffa. Deaths were estimated at 75-200 million. This caused a scarcity of labor, leading to peasant uprisings demanding higher wages and the elimination of serfdom.

Great Western Schism

Jan 1, 1378

The Great Western Schism was a split between the Catholic Church from 1378-1417. At the time, there were two popes in the Latin West, one in Rome, Italy, and the other in Avignon, France. The conflict was resolved with a counil under Pisan pope, John XXIII that made the ultimate decison that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church should be elected and reside in Rome. Pope Martin V was the first elected to end the Schism, and although the power remained in Rome, the strength of the Church lessened

Iberian Unification

Jan 1, 1450

The strongest powers of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal unified into strong centralized states after the reoccupation of the land mass of the Christians from the Moslems. Castile and Aragon united in 1469 with the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, best known for funding Christopher Colombus's journey to America. Irrigated fields and flourishing crops promoted wealth, however there was population loss with the expulsion of thousands of Jews and Moslems.

Gutenberg Perfects Printing Press

Jan 1, 1454

Although the Chinese are credited for printing the first book, German Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with movable wooden and later metal type. The press was in the works through the 1430s and 1440s, but was perfected in 1454. Wine press technology inspired the design of the machine. It started a book-printing revolution that aided Western Europe in its climb out of intellectual isolation and led to signifcant scientific, artistic, and religious breakthroughs.