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The Middle Ages began when the German king Idiacer attacked Rome and killed the emperor. There was no new emperor named and that meant the end of the Western Roman Empire. This started a new age, the Middle Ages, where life and government was different.
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Saint Benedict established many monasteries in Europe and wrote guidelines for religious people to follow so they could live together peacefully. The monks of the monasteries helped people. They would give to people who had needs and take care of them. This is important because he and his followers changed the way people treated and took care of others.
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Charlemagne becomes the sole ruler of the Franks. He then started on a mission to unite all Germanic peoples into one kingdom, and convert his subjects to Christianity.
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In 1066, the King of England, Edward, died and did not leave any heirs to the throne. William The Conqueror of Normandy was related to King Edward and had promised him the crown. But, other people claimed the crown too, including Harold, an english lord. In September 1066, William and his army crossed the English Channel and fought Harold. William won the battle to be King of England at The Battle of Hastings and on Christmas day, 1066 was crowned King of England.
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King William the Conqueror started feudalism in the Middle Ages in England. He gave land in exchange for military service. He used this to reward his Norman supporters for their help in the conquest of England. The feudal system demanded that everyone owed allegiance to the King and the person superior to them.
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William The Conqueror was crowned King of England on Christmas Day, 1066. He made many changes in England during his reign. He changed the language to Norman French. He changed the laws in England, the social class and the church. He brought England closer to France. He separated the church from the country's legal matters and put all church matters under his control as king.
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Eleanor of Aquitaine and her husband, Henry II, became king and queen of England in 1154. She was known as the most powerful women in Europe in the 12th century. She wasn't a typical queen. She was queen of two nations, France and England. She made many important decisions and two of her sons became king.
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This quarrel lasted 7 years, from 1163-1170. King Henry II made Becket Archbishop of Canterbury but Becket then changed his entire lifestyle and began praying and reading the Bible. Becket then opposed King Henry about the Church's role in legal issues. Becket is ultimately murdered by King Henry II's knights. He is later made a saint by the Church for standing up for the Church.
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The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in the history of England. Its purpose was to limit the King and make him govern by the old English laws that had prevailed before the Normans came. The Magna Carta was a collection of 37 English laws. Some of the laws had been copied, some were those that people remembered and some were new. The Magna Carta demonstrated that the power of the king could be limited by a written grant. King John was forced to sign it at Runneymeade.
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Simon de Montfort, leader of the english revolt againt King Henry, III, established the first parliament in English history. First, he captured King Henry III. This is important because it was the first time that representatives from all classes, except the serfs, met together to make decisions. King Henry III escaped from Montfort's capture, killed Montfort and the parliament was no more.
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King Edward I established the Model Parliament on November 13, 1295. This parliament was first set up so that King Edward I could get taxes. But, the parliament also allowed representatives to share their grievances with the king.
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The Hundred Years War begain in 1337 and lasted until 1453, a total of 116 years. It was started by a frenchman who didn't like English rule over France. The result was that France gained its independence from England. Also, the feudal system was weakened.
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The Black Death arrived in England by sea in Octber 1347 and lasted until 1350. About 2 million people died in Europe, which was about 1/3 of the population. Because there were not as many people, labor became more valuable and important.
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Joan of Arc was a peasant girl who lived in France. She had a vision that God chose her to go and fight with the French against England. Joan convinced prince Charles of Valois to allow her to lead a French army to Orléans, which had been taken by France. She was victorious. She required her soliders to attend church. She was an important part of Charles VII's being crowned King of France.
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In 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans. This gave Rome an empire for the first time since 476. Charlemagne expanded his empire and when he died in 814, it encompassed much of Western Europe. He also made sure Christiantiy survived in the West. Some refer to Charlemagne as the father of Europe.
