High Middle Ages Part 2 Flashcards
How did trade change the balance of wealth and power?
People could make money without the lord or king, just because they were resourceful or talented. They did not need to own land to be powerful
What did the towns become home to?
A new class of people – the middle class, lived in the towns.
Who were the middle class?
Merchants and trades people became the middle class.
What was the name for the middle class?
In England burgesses and in Germany bergers, and in France the bourgeois
How rich the middle class get?
Some got richer than the lords and feudal land owners
Why did nobility not start to trade?
The nobility thought trade was below them, but they still wanted the things traded in town
How did the rise of the Middle Class spell the end of the feudal system?
The middle class wanted freedom and wealth was giving them power
Who did towns draw?
People who wanted freedom would go to towns because you could marry who you wanted and make money as you could, even though the living conditions were cramped by the walls.
How could a serf become free?
If they lived in a town for a year without being discovered, they were free
Was it easy to hide in a town for a year?
No, the towns were quite small
What is a charter?
A charter is an agreement from the monarch or local lord, either paid for or granted, that says the town is free
What did a charter mean for the town?
Because of the charter, the lords could not control the people who lived in a town nor could the manor court
Who governed the town?
The town was governed by the people such as the wealthy citizens and guilds.
How old are many current European towns?
Many european towns can be traced back to medieval charters
Who was most powerful in a town?
The people belonging to merchant guilds were most powerful
Why were merchant guilds so powerful
because they bought and sold goods on a large scale, financed ships and sent caravans to trade in distant lands
What was the Hanseatic League?
The Hanseatic league were a powerful trade guild that were rich enough to have their own army and navy, they did this by putting together their wealth.
How powerful was the Hanseatic League?
They were so powerful that they could threaten to cut off all trade to a country and they could force the ruler to do what they wanted.
What happened to port cities such as Genoa, Venice and Naples in Italy?
These cities became very powerful city-states due to their merchant-traders
What was the social status of women in the middle ages?
Women had lower social status
How did the church justify this lower social status for women?
The church taught that lower status for women was in the bible.
because women had so little power, what did they do?
Women just tried to make the best of things in a male-dominated world
How were town women better off than serf women?
Women in town could earn money
Which women were best off?
The women who married a guild member or belonged to a guild themselves were better off than others
How did life for some women change?
Women of wealthy town families became educated though a parish school or a private tutor
What was a pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage was a religious journey to a place where a saint was martryed
What did pilgrimages show?
pilgrimages show that people were still very serious about their religion
How did people travel on their pilgrimages
People travelled by food, horse or sailing ship.
Where were popular locations to go on a pilgrimage to?
Shrine of St James at Compostela in Spain, St. Thomas Becket in England, holy places in Rome, or Jerusalem.
What did people gain from a pilgrimage?
People were making up for their sins.
What name did people take after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem?
They took the name Palmer b/c they would bring back palm leaves.