Chapter 14: The Latin West, 1200-1500 Flashcards
What was a unifying factor in West Europe?
The church. Church events were held in Latin, while most common folk spoke vernacular.
What were common elements of the Latin West?
Competition and the pursuit of success, which led to achievements
Effective use of borrowed technology and learning (gunpowder)
What did the divisions, disasters, and wars in the Latin West cause?
unusual progress, works of architecture, institutes of higher learning
urban culture was transformed and grew
development of powerful weapons
more unified monarchies, powerful states
Mos of Europe was ___?
rural.
Population growth led to what?
Deforestation, swamp draining
New settlements
3 field system- crop yields were grown on 2/3 land, 1/3 = oats- replenished the soil and fed animals
Most in Europe faced extreme ___.
Hunger. The life expectancy was 30-35 years.
How did the Black Death reach West Europe?
Mongol armies attacking Kaffa on the Black Sea
Rats and fleas
It started in Asia and reached Italy through trade routes.
What was the Black Death composed of?
Anthrax and the Bubonic Plague, foul odor, severe pain
What were common responses to the Black Death?
Some people became more religious, others partied
What were some consequences of the Black Death?
Periodic returns to Europe
Trade decreased, industries dependent on trade decreased
Labor costs rose- there were fewer people so they could demand more
Food costs fell- same amt of food fewer ppl
There were fewer peasants, which eased the transition from serfdom
Resistance from Lords- widespread revolt
Peasant revolts led to rural to urban migration
END OF SERFDOM
Jewish programs and migrations to E. Europe
More meat in diet, longer life expectancy.
Lowered confidence in the church and political institutions
Lay people sometimes gave last rites rather than absent priests
Surviving Europeans developed immunity, which they carried to the Western hemisphere
Decreased trade on the Silk Road
Higher % of dead priests and doctors
What characterizes the Industrial Revolution?
mills
dams
both were common in the Islamic world, but were used in Europe on a larger scale
What was the Iron Age?
Iron was widely used for armor, nails, horseshoes, and tools
There were a lot of silver, lead, and copper mines
During the 11th and 12th centuries, there was a revival of what?
Trade, as well as a growth of towns
Italian cities took the lead
The 4th crusade helped Venice gain Crete and expand into the Black Sea
What was the Hanseatic League?
A northern European association of trading cities that traded in the Baltic
What type of economy emerged in the 11th and 12th centuries?
Money economy.
What led to the peasant revolts?
Laborers who survived demanded higher pay after the Black Death. Authorities tried to freeze wages, which led to revolts. Serfdom disappeared, as peasants bought their freedom or ran away.
How did the rapid growth of industry change the natural landscape?
Towns grew and were founded
Dams and canals changed the flow of rivers
Quarry pits and mines tunneled into hillsides
Pollution became a serious problem- wastewater into streams
Increasing deforestation - timber, acid, farming, burned
What was urban growth in the Latin West after 1200 a result of?
Continued growth in trade and manufacturing. Cities in n. Italy benefitted from maritime trade with the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the Indian Ocean and East Asia
What did westward Mongol expansion do?
Opened trade routes from the Mediterranean to China
What happened with the wool trade in Europe in the 13th century?
English taxes rose, and it became more profitable to turn wool into cloth in England instead of exporting it to Flanders. Exports from England feel, but rose again with the help of spinning wheels and specialists
Florence became the center for high-quality wool-making.
