You are this man, King John, crowned English king in 1199.

 1214

Decision #1: Should you…a) hire mercenaries from France to

fight for you against the English nobles?

b) meet with the English barons and lords to discuss your disagreements?

c) stall for a time, pretending to be interested in negotiations, in order to have time to raise a mercenary army from England and France?

d) Another option of your choice.

The story continues…

• Barons and lords will renew their loyalty to the monarchy

• Supremacy of rule of law over arbitrary (changing, unreasonable) power of the king

• Trial by ordeal or local courts for commoners• Jury of peers for nobles, not king’s officials or king

deciding• Nobles can’t be held in jail without charges being

made• King can’t raise taxes without approval of advisory

body of barons to be called Parliament• Parliament could meet if Magna Carta agreement is

broken and raise another army• Worst Norman officials are to be fired

• Note that no English or French king has ever signed such a document, which limits a monarch’s freedom of action.

Decision #2: Should you…a) sign the Magna Carta reluctantly,

agreeing to live with the restrictions and embarrassment.

b) have a temper tantrum, swear at the nobles and prepare for war.

c) sign the document, using the time to stall until the French mercenaries arrive.

d) only agree to certain terms, which will anger the barons.

Should we call the period 600-

1450 “The Dark

Ages”?

Features of Europe, Unit 3• Eastern Mediterranean

– Byzantine Empire (caesaropapism, trade, Roman continuities)

• Western Europe – 600-1000

• Invasions• Feudalism• Catholic Church

– 1000-1200• Warming climate – better agriculture• Crusades

Features of Europe, Unit 3• Western Europe

– 1200-1500• Breakdown of feudalism• Black Death• Renaissance

The Black Death in Western Europe

Pax Mongolica

Spread of the Black Death

1331 in NE China – reached Middle East and Western Europe by 1347

In Europe during plague…

Empress: I know, Death means me! I was never terrified so greatly! I thought he was not in his right mind, after all, I am young and also an empress. I thought I had a lot of power, I had not thought of him or that anybody could do anything against me. Oh, let me live on, this I implore you!

Death: Empress, highly presumptuous, I think, you have forgotten me. Fall in! It is now time. You thought I should let you off? No way! And were you ever so much, you must participate in this play, and you others, everybody…”

Consequences of the Black Plague for Europe

• Economically– labor shortage

wages rise better standard of living

Consequences of the Black Plague for Europe

• Economically– labor shortage

wages rise better standard of living

– The rich get richer inheriting from those who died & the poor can demand higher pay peasant rebellions

Consequences of the Black Plague for Europe

• Economically– labor shortage

wages rise better standard of living

– The rich get richer inheriting from those who died & the poor can demand higher pay peasant rebellions

• Cultural– Jews flee to the

East to escape persecution

Consequences of the Black Plague for Europe

• Economically– labor shortage

wages rise better standard of living

– The rich get richer inheriting from those who died & the poor can demand higher pay peasant rebellions

• Cultural– Jews flee to the

East to escape persecution

– Less confidence in Church (Petrarch: “God does not care for mortal men”)

Breakdown of Feudalism

The Renaissanc

e

The Renaissance (13th-17th centuries)

• Driving force behind Renaissance was humanism:

• celebrates the individual

• inspired by Greek and Roman civilization

• combines ancient thought with Christianity

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94), Oration on the Dignity of Man

I have not given you, Adam…a predetermined place…in order that you may find your own place through your own decision and choice…You shall determine your own nature without constraint, by means of the freedom which I have entrusted you…like a free and sovereign artificer, you might mold and fashion yourself into that form you yourself shall have chosen.

Global Events and Effects on Europe

• Crusades

Increased commerce Increased exchange of ideas between Europeans and Muslim Empires (including technology and philosophy)

• Mongol Empireincreased trade and global contacts Europeans

become curious for and desire foreign goods desire for access to these goods will drive

European states to compete with one anotherBlack Death Europe loses population but is the

world better for survivors….?