Medieval Europe

Chapter 21 Feudalism and the Middle Ages

By Sharon McNutt

3.1 Medieval Europe

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After Rome fell, Western Europe underwent many political and cultural changes.

​AFTER THE FALL OF ROME

Notes

What came next is a period historians call the Middle Ages.

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This era lasted from about 500 to 1450 in Western Europe.

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It is also called the medieval period. Medieval comes from the Latin words medium, meaning “middle,” and aevum, meaning “age.”

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After Rome fell, Germanic leaders seized power, and much of the region became divided into small kingdoms constantly at war.

Lesson 3.1 - Medieval Europe

Notes

It was a violent time, yet many kingdoms thrived.

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Thanks to the region’s mostly moderate climate and rich soil,

farmers could grow crops and feed themselves and their livestock.

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Abundant forestland provided wood for building, and mountains containing a wealth of minerals, like iron, allowed the Germanic peoples to make all the weapons they needed to fight their foes.

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In addition, Western Europe’s long coastline and major rivers

gave people access to the sea and plentiful supplies of fish.

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Lesson 3.1 - Medieval Europe

Multiple Choice

What is another name for the Middle Ages?

• Medieval Period

• The Renaissance

• The Reformation

• The Enlightenment

Multiple Choice

Who seized power in Europe after Rome fell?

• Italian Merchants

• Germanic Leaders

• Anglo Saxon Kings

• Muslims from the Middle East

Multiple Choice

What did Western Europe consist of after the fall of the Roman Empire?

• Several empires

• Independent nation-states

• Many small kingdoms

• Several city-states

Multiple Choice

What important mineral allowed the Germanic peoples to make the weapons they needed?

• Steel

• Gold

• Bronze

• Iron

POLITICAL & CULTURAL CHANGES

Notes

The region’s many waterways offered

ideal routes and networks for trading.

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However, unlike the Romans, the Germanic people who

migrated to Western Europe were not interested in trade.

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The tribes that settled in Roman lands in the early part of

the Middle Ages preferred their own traditions to Roman ways.

Lesson 3.1 - Medieval Europe

Notes

the new kingdoms also had their own ideas about government.

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The Franks united to form powerful kingdoms but didn’t create large centralized governments or write down their laws.

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Instead, the people obeyed the unwritten rules and traditions of their king. They lived in small villages where they minded their own.

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As trade began to disappear in the region, so did many cities.

Lesson 3.1 - Medieval Europe

Notes

Just about the only force that helped unite Western Europe in the early Middle Ages was Christianity, which survived the fall of Rome.

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Before the Middle Ages, most Germanic peoples, including the

Angles, Jutes, and Saxons, practiced their own traditional religions.

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After the Germanic leaders came to power, however, many

of them converted, or changed their religion, to Christianity.

Lesson 3.1 - Medieval Europe

Multiple Choice

What happened to trade between towns during start of the Middle Ages?

• It increased

• It decreased

Multiple Choice

Which Germanic tribe united to from a powerful kingdom without a centralized government?

• The Franks

• The Huns

• The Slavs

• The Greeks

Multiple Choice

The only force that helped unite Western Europe in the early Middle Ages was:

• Democracy

• Christianity

• Islam

• Trade

Multiple Choice

Who were the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes?

• Roman missionaries

• British mythological creatures

• Germanic tribes

• French mercenaries

Open Ended

BONUS QUESTION

Who was the first ruler of the Franks to convert to Christianity?