Middle Ages

Middle Ages

Lesson 3: Kingdoms and Crusades

Royal Power in England

When Vikings attacked Britain, King Alfred of Wessex united the Anglo-Saxons to drive away the Vikings. Alfred’s kingdom became known as “Angleland,” or England.

William was the ruler of Normandy and a cousin of the king of England. In 1066 William and his army invaded England and won the Battle of Hastings. William then became king of England. He was known as William the Conqueror and became a powerful ruler.

William brought many customs from Normandy and kept the Anglo-Saxon ways of running the government. He allowed Anglo-Saxons to keep their language, which later became English. As Normans and Anglo-Saxons married, they created a new English culture.

William the Conqueror

Royal Power in England Cont....

Henry II ruled England from 1154 to 1189. He set up a court

system with lawyers and judges. This helped create a body of

common law, or law that was the same throughout the whole

kingdom. The courts were fair because they applied the same

laws to everyone.

Henry also set up juries of citizens to settle arguments about

land. A grand jury decided whether a person should be accused

of a crime. A trial jury decided whether an accused person was

innocent or guilty.

King Henry II - Created Common Law

Royal Power in England Cont....

Henry’s son John became king of England in 1199. King John raised taxes. He also punished enemies without trials. A group of angry nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta means “Great Charter.”

This document limited the king’s powers. It said the king and vassals had certain rights and duties. Over time, the Magna Carta strengthened the idea that all people have rights and that the powers of government should be limited.

In the late 1200s, Edward I gathered people from different parts of England to help him make laws. This group was called Parliament.

Open Ended

What is the difference between a grand jury and a trial jury?

Multiple Choice

Which ruler of England had the most impact on English law or government?

• Henry II

• John

• Edward I

Multiple Choice

Common Law helped unite England because it was the same throughout the whole kingdom.

• True

• False

Monarchy in France

In 843 Charlemagne’s empire was split into three parts. The western part became the kingdom of France. In 987 Hugh Capet became king, but he controlled little land.

Philip II became king of France in 1180. At that time, England ruled part of western France. Philip regained these lands. Having more land gave French kings more power.

Philip IV was called Philip the Fair. He met with people from three classes, or estates, of French society. This meeting of the estates was France’s first parliament. It was called the Estates General. The Estates-General never became as strong as the English Parliament.

Estates General created by Phillip II

Open Ended

How was the Estates-General of France different from England’s Parliament?

Eastern States of the Slavs

A people called the Slavs organized villages in Eastern Europe.

In time, Slavs divided into three major groups: the southern,

western, and eastern Slavs.

In the 800s, the eastern Slavs began to expand the city of

Kiev. The state of Kievan Rus grew around the city. About 1240,

Mongols from Central Asia conquered Kievan Rus. Many Slavs

left and founded the city of Moscow in present-day Russia.

Eastern States of the Slavs Cont...

The rulers of Moscow learned to work with the Mongols. They

let Moscow collect taxes from nearby Slav areas. If the Slavs could

not pay the tax, Moscow could take over their territory. Moscow

used this method to expand its power.

In 1462 Ivan III became the ruler of Moscow. Ivan called himself

a czar, Russian for “emperor.” By 1480 he had driven the Mongols

out of Russia. By then, the people of Moscow, now known as

Russians began to build a great empire.

Moscow in Middle Ages

Ivan the Great of Russia

Multiple Choice

Which was NOT a reason Moscow was important?

• Had power to tax and conquer new land

• Wealthy trade center

• Drove the Mongols out of Russia

• Became the center of a new Russian empire

European Crusaders

In 1095 Pope Urban II asked Europe’s lords to launch a crusade, or holy war, to take Jerusalem from the Muslim Turks. Thousands of soldiers left western Europe to join the First Crusade. After many more crusades, Muslims won back all of the territory they had lost.

The Crusades changed Europe. Western Europeans gained new knowledge from Byzantines and Muslims, such as how to

build better ships. Feudalism broke down because nobles who joined the Crusades sold their lands and freed their serfs. This meant the nobles had less power. As a result, kings were able to build stronger governments. The Crusades also caused bitter feelings between Christian western Europe and the Muslims.

Crusading nations would recognize one another on the battlefield by the color of the cross they wore.

Multiple Choice

What was the goal of the First Crusade?

• To establish a new religion

• To take back Jerusalem from the Turks.

• To build a stronger government

Open Ended

What was one way the Crusades changed Christian Europe?