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400
Trade nearly dies out
400s Manors became increasingly self-sufficient, growing or making nearly everything they used. Towns and cities that depended on trade and manufacturing decreased in both population and size. -
400
Excommunication
The church enforced its laws by excommunication and interdict. Excommunication cut an individual off from the church and they could not receive the sacraments or buried in sacred ground. All Christians had to avoid the excommunicated. It changed the people's view on the church (400-1400) -
Jan 1, 600
Vernacular Language and literature
Vernacular language was how the common people spoke. These languages were the start of many modern languages such as English, Italian, and French. -
Jan 1, 1000
Education spread to non-nobles
As education spread to non-nobles, universities such as Oxford began to develop. -
Jan 1, 1000
Venice, Genoa, and Pisa win trading rights in Constantinople, Syria, Palestine, and North Africa.
Ships from Italian city-states carried crusaders to the Holy Land and brought home rich cargoes from the East. Over time it improved the economy and brought prosperity. -
Jan 1, 1000
Feudalism Takes Over
Feudalism brought fiefs, grants of land, that were a contract between lord and vassal. Both were spots reserved for nobles while their servants, serfs, could not owned or grant land. Implented new societal interactions between nobles and serfs. -
Jan 1, 1042
Death of Danish Rule
King Canute of Denmark was a wise, powerful rules and gained territory of Scandinavia. His son’s had inherited none of his ruling skill set and were weak rulers which over time in 1042 the Danish line died. -
Jan 1, 1066
Growth of Royal territory before 1066
Kings would over time marry feudal lords daughters to add to their territorial extent, in which they gained fiefs from their wives dowries. -
Jan 1, 1066
William of Normandy becomes king 1066
Change in feudalism and changed the system so kings had the authority rather than nobles. -
Jan 1, 1095
Pope Urban II calls council at Clermont, France
At the meeting he urged the powerful feudal nobles to stop fighting among themselves and to join in one great war to recover the Holy Land for Christians. -
Jan 1, 1096
The Crusades: expeditions to regain the Holy Land
Inspired by faith, those who died on a Crusade were said to go straight to heaven. The lure of territory and riches in Southwest Asia attracted the knights, whereas merchants saw a chance to make money. -
Jan 1, 1100
Women's Property Rights
Women had influence in society but limited property rights. A woman could include property in her dowry but the husband would take over the dowry. She would only control the dowry when the husband died. -
Jan 1, 1110
Henry I Weakening of feudal lords 1110
Since he wanted to weakening the feudal lords power he developed cases that were tried in king’s court rather than feudal courts which gave more power to serfs. -
Jan 1, 1150
Gothic churches start to appear
The elegant architecture of these churches offended the main Catholic church so they split into their own branch and called themselves the goths. -
Jan 1, 1187
Europeans fail to seize France
Richard stayed and continued to fight, but his armies could not recapture Jerusalem. He considered peace proposals from Salah al-Din including marriage alliances, but were rejected. Richard settled for a truce, gave the crusaders control of a few coastal towns in Palestine and allowed Christians to enter Jerusalem freely. -
Jan 1, 1190
Chivalry
Code of conduct, changed the feudal society. In order to become a knight boys went through two stages, becoming a page then becoming a squire. Although chivalry improved the manners of early feudal lords, the courtesy of knights extended only to those of the same class. -
Jan 1, 1200
1200’s Dowry relations of Henry II’s wife Eleanor
After Henry got land from Eleanor’s dowry, wars between France and England increased. -
Jan 1, 1210
Clergy Social Works
The church clergy members had taken charge of social work, relief for the poor, helping the sick and distressed, and established hospitals. -
Jun 15, 1215
Liberties of Magna Carta June 15, 1215
The Magna Carta protected the freedom of nobles and dealt with the rights of England’s everyday people. -
Jan 1, 1265
1265 de Montfort Summons
Simon de Montfort wanted to gain support for the noble’s by summoning representatives of the middle class to meet with higher nobles and those in the Great Council. Through this came the Parliament including the House of the Lords and the House of the Commons which is accurate representation in England in present day. -
Jan 1, 1400
Local rulers guaranteed special services to merchants
Merchants that were fair would get perks such as protection from theft, assault, or arrest. Roads leading to the fair and also within the fairgrounds were enforced by guards, helping to ensure the safety of alI participants. -
Jan 1, 1400
Europe held the most important fairs
294 days of fairs held annually at four towns in the region, they provided a central marketplace for ali of Europe during most of the year. -
Jan 1, 1400
Merchant guilds gain monopoly
Merchants from other nations or towns could not trade in that town unless they were to pay a fee. Guilds acted as a charity of sorts, loans were given to members and looked after those who were in any variety of danger. -
Otto's Empire "Holy Roman Empire"
Otto though only ruling a smaller area or land he developed the Holy Roman Empire, establishing Germany and Italy’s relations for hundreds of years -
Charlamagne's Coronation
Charlemagnes's coronation by Pope Leo III had dramatized to the close ties between the Frankish people and the Christian Church. -
Saint Augustine's Missionary
Saint Augustine started his work in England as a Benedictine monk sent by Pope Gregory. He brought about the conversion of many people in Europe which changed their views on the Church. -
Manorial System
While feudalism was a governmental and military system. The manorial system required manors to try and be self-sufficient. The lord split his land into thirds and gave two of them to serfs in return for farm help and other services. Peasants viewed their lords differently depending on their lords behavior.