the late middle ages (1200-1400)

The Late Middle Ages (1200-1400)

World History - Libertyville HS

Characteristics of Period

• Agriculture– Limits of agricultural

land reached– “Mini Ice Age” caused

famines, loss of crops due to poor growing seasons / long winters

• Politics– Wars common through

period as political consolidation continued

Characteristics of Period• Economic– Invention of double entry

bookkeeping allowed for keeping track of debts and income at same time

– Led to development of banking

– Rise of Italian banking families• Medici, of Florence• Became patrons of the

Renaissance

Characteristics of Period• Hanseatic League (N. Holy

Roman Empire)– Trading federation among

Baltic Sea & inland HRE– Political, economic force in late

Middle Ages (fish on Fridays)– Helped create larger, more

varied European trading communities

• Luxury goods became more available for rich

• Iron tools became more common for poor

Characteristics of Period• Religious

– Real and perceived corruption of Church• Simony, sale of indulgences

– Rise of “heretics” (people who disagree with Catholic church)

– Jon Hus – Czech philosopher who opposed simony, indulgences

– Invited to debate church– Imprisoned, burned at stake– Important because he

foreshadowed Protestant Reformation

– Inquisition

Characteristics of Period

• Education– Rise of universities in 1100s,

in Europe– “University” = community of

scholars– Universities usually run by

priests, monks– Purpose of learning was to

understand God better– Universities surprisingly

accepting of ideas from other cultures (zero, Arabic numbers for math)

Black Death (1347-1350)

• Estimated death toll = 50 million– Between 1/3 and ½ of

population of Europe• Death toll high, but not

only b/c of plague– Trade stopped (no food)– Famines– Labor shortages, in

fields– 100 Years War started in

1337

Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

• Bubonic plague carried by fleas

• Fleas carried by Rats• Plague actually a virus• Made its way to Europe

from China– Probably brought from

East by Italian merchants– Rats on ships brought

infected fleas to Europe

Bubonic Plague Characteristics

• Fever, blotches all over body

• Huge swelling under armpits, around lymph nodes, called buboes

• If they burst, you were ok; if not, you were dead within hours

• Puncturing them with a knife did not help

Responses to the Plague• Doctors thought it was

transmitted through the air (herbs, incense)

• Religious leaders thought God was punishing man for sins– Flagellant cult: travelling

groups who prayed for forgiveness & whipped themselves as a sign of repentance

– Blamed Jews for plague (attacks)

Effects of Plague• Peasant life improved

– Population way down, but their service became valuable

– Demanded wages, better working conditions from Lords

– If life didn’t improve, peasants rebelled

• Nobility were less affected by plague– Less contact with virus carrying

rats– 1 prince, relatively few nobles died– Affected more by economic,

political changes