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400
Trade and Manufacturing Decrease
Manors become more self-sufficient, so towns and cities, which depended on trade and manufacturing shrank in population and size. Trade effected the population, which in turn caused a chang in social structure. -
Period: 432 to
Christianity spreads to Ireland
Christian missionaries arrived in Ireland in the 400s, which preserved ancient and Christian culture. -
500
Knight's Armor
A knight's weaponry includedried a sword, a large shield, and a lance. A knight wore an iron helmet and a shirt of chain mail; later, metal plates were used as armor in response to gunpowder. The armor and other technology changed in response to new ideas introduced by trade and the Crusades. -
500
Average Life Expectancy
Average life expectancy is 30 years because of disease, starvation, and constant warfare. The Middle Ages saw the Crusades, Hundred Years' War, and the War of the Roses, as well as the Black Death, so the life expectancy remained fairly constant throughout the time period. -
Nov 4, 600
Palestine
Muslim Arabs conquered Palestine, what the Christians regarded as the Holy Land, in the 600s, but tolerated Christians and Jews if they paid taxes and observed other regulations. Christian pilgrims and European traders could conduct their business in Palestine. This created a mix of the religions and other cultural diffusion, such as the sharing of gunpowder. -
Nov 4, 700
Church's Tithe
During the 700s, the church began to collect the tithe, or 1/10 of a person’s income, from all Christians. This caused the Christian church became an economic power. -
Nov 4, 1001
Animals
People need animals to work the fields and weren't allowed to hunt on the lord's land, so they rarely ate meat in the 1000s -
Nov 4, 1002
Middle Class
A class of merchants, master workers, and skilled workers transformed the European society, and resulted in middle class workers occupying government roles rather than nobles. The development of the middle class recontructed the society of medieval Europe. -
Nov 4, 1003
Seljuk Turks Invasion
The Seljuk Turks, conquered Palestine and attacked Asia Minor, part of the Byzantine Empire, during the 1000s, changing the main religion in those areas from Christianity to Islam. -
Nov 4, 1085
Doomsday Book
William the Conqueror sent commissioners to gather information on the population and wealth of England in order to develop his new system of taxation. His survey came to be known as the Domesday, or Doomsday, Book. -
Nov 4, 1095
Crusade
Pope Urban II called a meeting of church leaders and nobles France where he encouraged a crusade in order to regain the Holy Lands for Christians. This would lead to the Crusades, which affected Europe's society and economy. -
Nov 4, 1096
Decline of Feudalism
The power of the middle class and kings was strengthened in the absense of the crusading nobles and knights, leading to a decline in feudalism. -
Nov 4, 1099
First Crusade and Feudalism
European feudalism was introduced to Southwest Asia through the First Crusade, and some Eastern customs were adopted by the Christians. -
Nov 4, 1100
Castles
Castles were built on hills or other easily defended places to resist attack rather than comfortable living. Feudalism, which includes a class of knights, was a main societal structure. -
Nov 4, 1201
Mathmetical Advances
Mathematics was advanced in counting, calendars, trade, and measuring during the 1200s. -
Nov 4, 1290
Crossbow from Crusades
Although the Crusades failed, the Europeans developed military advances in the 1300s because of them, such as the crossbow, a sophisticated, horizontal bow and arrow fired using a trigger. -
Period: Nov 4, 1337 to Nov 4, 1453
Hundred Years’ War
Hundred Years’ War brought death to England and France. -
Nov 4, 1347
Black Death
The Black Death, in the form of the bubonic plague and the contagious pneumonic plague, arrived in Europe and killed a third of the population. This changed the upper-lower class relations change since, with a fewer workers available, the workers demanded higher wages, and several peasant revolts occurred. -
Nov 4, 1350
Gunpowder
Having learned of gunpowder from the Arab Muslims, Europeans developed effective cannons and handheld guns in the mid 14th century, which influenced the characteristics of warfare. -
Nov 4, 1400
Technological advances in Farming
Europeans made several advances through practicallity rather than science, such as improved winches and pulleys, iron plows, and better yokes for oxen. -
Nov 4, 1455
War of the Roses
The power struggle (1455-1485) between the York and Lancaster families delayed the emergence of a strong centralized government in England. -
Nov 4, 1500
Windmills and Waterwheels
Windmills and waterwheels were spread to Europe from Asia in the 1500s as cultural diffusion caused by the Crusades. -
Decline of Serfdom
Towns enabled serfs to sell produce, so they could then pay for use of lands with money rather than labor. This, along with new agricultural methods, lead to a decline in serfdom. -
Late 800s Movements
Muslims came from North Africa and terrorized the Mediterranean coast, from the east came the Slavs, who pressed into central Europe, and a new group of nomads, the Magyars, settled and established a kingdom in the Late 800s. The migration of different peoples caused some cultural diffusion and introduced new trade. -
Christian Missionaries in England
Missionaries were sent to England, which led to the acceptance of Christianity in England 597. This spread and preserved the Christian religion. -
Location of Towns
New towns grew in locations important for trade, such as natural harbors, the mouths of rivers, and cargo transfer points during the late 900s. As trade increased, the towns and cities grew as well, and lead to guilds and the middle class. -
Guilds
Merchant guilds formed monopolies and regulated wages, hours and conditions of labor, and standards of quality, but also cared for their members and the family of deceased members. This rearranged merchants' methods of trade and manufacturing. -
Viking Trade
Viking traders from Kiev collected goods from the East by traveling to the Black Sea and from there to Constantinople before the 1000s. Europe's trade was partially revived due to this new trade route. -
Market Economy
The growth of trade lead to manufactureing, investment of capital, and banking, the basis of a market economy, which is the origin of the modern capitalist system. This was a new system of economy because of the growing trade. -
Viking Migration
A growing population in Scandinavia caused a serious food prompting many Vikings to sail in search of food and treasure. They reached Iceland accross the Atlantic Ocean and continuted to Greenland and North America, as well as England, Ireland, France. and eastem Europe. The Vikings created new trading routes which spurred trade and the economy.
