UNIDAD EDUCATIVA PARTICULAR “SAN JOSÉ DE CALASANZ”

Name:………………………………………………………………… Date: ……….

…………………………….
Grade: 1ro bachillerato Subject: History and Social
Sciences

PART II: MEDIEVAL LEGACY

European Civilization in the Middle Ages
In 800, Charlemagne, the king of a Germanic people known as the Franks, went to
Rome to support the Catholic pope, Leo III. The pope was barely clinging to power in
the face of rebellious Romans. On Christmas Day, Charlemagne, his family, and a host
of visitors crowded into Saint Peter’s Basilica to attend mass.
According to a Frankish writer, the assembled crowd was surprised when, “as the king
rose from praying before the tomb of the blessed apostle Peter, Pope Leo placed a
golden crown on his head.” In keeping with ancient tradition, the people in the church
shouted, “Long life and victory to Charles Augustus, crowned by God the great and
peacelovingEmperor of the Romans.”

It appeared that the Roman Empire in the West had been reborn, and Charles had
become the first Roman emperor since 476. This “Roman emperor” was actually a
German king, and he was crowned by a pope. Thus, his coronation did not signal that
the Roman Empire had been reborn, but that a new civilization had emerged.
This new civilization, European civilization, was formed by the coming together of
three major elements: the Roman legacy itself; the traditions of Germanic peoples who
had settled the Western Roman Empire; and the Christian Church.
After 800, this new Europe became the center of the Western world. Its civilization
developed during the Middle Ages, roughly from 500 to 1500. Later historians
referred to this time as the “Middle Ages” because they saw the period as a transition
between
the ancient and modern worlds.
After his death, centralized control in Charlemagne’s empire weakened. Medieval
political institutions developed as feudalism. The feudal system put power into the
hands of many different lords, who came to constitute a powerful group of nobles
dominating the political, economic, and social life of Europe.
Medieval Europeans considered the Catholic Church to be the all-embracing
institution for humanity. Lords and princes themselves bowed to churchmen, and to
the pope, God’s ruler on earth.
Quietly and surely within this world of castles, however, kings gradually began to
extend their powers. As they did so, they fought the pope in order tohave total control
in their own kingdoms. Although they could not know it then, their actions laid the
foundations for the European kingdoms that we know as European nations today. One
of these kingdoms, England, created the first parliament thatclaimed rights against the
king.

Feudal System
The basic government and society in Europe during the middle ages was based around
the feudal system. Small communities were formed around the local lord and the
manor. The lord owned the land and everything in it. He would keep the peasants safe
in return for their service. The lord, in return, would provide the king with soldiers or
taxes.
Service for Land
Under the feudal system land was granted to people for service. It started at the top
with the king granting his land to a baron for soldiers all the way down to a peasant
getting land to grow crops.
The Manor
The center of life in the Middle Ages was the manor. The manor was run by the local
lord. He lived in a large house or castle where people would gather for celebrations or
for protection if they were attacked. A small village would form around the castle
which would include the local church. Farms would then spread out from there which
would be worked by the peasants.
Hierarchy of Rulers
King - The top leader in the land was the king. The king could not control all of the
land by himself, so he divided it up among the Barons. In return, the Barons pledged
their loyalty and soldiers to the king. When a king died, his firstborn son would inherit
the throne. When one family stayed in power for a long time, this was called a
dynasty.
Bishop - The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area
called a diocese. The Catholic Church was very powerful in most parts of Medieval
Europe and this made the Bishop powerful as well. Not only that, but the church
received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people. This made some Bishops very rich.
Baron - Barons ruled large areas of land called fiefs. They reported directly to the
king and were very powerful. They divided up their land among Lords who ran
individual manors. Their job was to maintain an army that was at the king's service. If
they did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. This tax
was called shield money.
Lord - The lords ran the local manors. They also were the knights and could be called
into battle at any moment by their Baron. The lords owned everything on their land
including the peasants, crops, and village.
Peasants or Serfs - Most of the people living in the Middle Ages were peasants. They
had a hard rough life. Some peasants were considered free and could own their own
businesses like carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. Others were more like slaves.
They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. They worked long days, 6
days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive.

England in the High Middle Ages

On October 14, 1066, an army of heavily armed knights under William of Normandy
landed on the coast of England and soundly defeated King Harold and the Anglo-
Saxon foot soldiers. William was crowned king of England at Christmastime in
London and then began a rule that combined Anglo- Saxon and Norman institutions in
a new England. William made all nobles swear an oath of loyalty to him as sole ruler,
and insisted that all subjects owed loyalty to the king.
In the twelfth century, the power of the English monarchy was greatly enlarged during
the reign of Henry II, who ruled from 1154 to 1189. Henry II was one of England’s
most able monarchs. The king was especially successful in strengthening royal courts.
Many more criminal cases and property cases were now tried in royal courts, not the
local courts of feudal lords. Henry appointed officials who toured the land, delivering
royal justice. Henry’s goal was clear: by expanding the power of royal courts, he
expanded the king’s power.
Another important result followed. Since royal courts were now found throughout
England, a body of common law—law common to the whole kingdom— replaced
local law codes that often varied from place to place.
The Magna Carta
Henry was only the first of a number of English kings to build up their power. Because
of this, many English nobles in the 1100s felt they were losing power, and they
resented it.
When King John proved a weak leader in war, these discontented nobles rebelled. At
Runnymede in 1215, they forced him to put his seal on the Magna Carta, or Great
Charter. The Magna Carta was, above all, a feudal document. Its purpose was to
confer more rights on nobles. Feudal custom had always recognized that the
relationship between a king and hisknights—vassals—was based on mutual rights
andobligations. The Magna Carta, however, recognized this fact in writing.
In later centuries, the Magna Carta was used to strengthen the idea that a monarch’s
power was limitednot absolute. Through later interpretation, certain provisions of the
Magna Carta acquired significance for commoners, as well as nobles.
One provision of the Magna Carta stands out. Chapter 39 reads: “No free man shall be
taken or imprisoned or dispossessed, or outlawed, or banished, or in any way
destroyed, nor will we go upon him, nor send upon him, except by the legal judgment
of his peers or by the law of the land.” In the fourteenth century, this provision gave
rise to trial by jury.
When the Magna Carta was first signed, this provision did not apply to everyone. In
1215, the label of “free man” applied to fewer than half of the English population.
Later, however, this statement was applied to all.
The principles of English common law and the Magna Carta were adopted by the
American colonies. When the colonies became a new nation, these same principles of
law would become part of the legal system of the United States.

The Beginnings of Parliament

One of the most important institutions in the Western political tradition is a
parliament. A parliament is a representative body of advisers to a king or other chief
executive. During the reign of Edward I, the English Parliament emerged. At first the
word parliament referred to the king’s Great Council, which was made up of the
king’s officials, nobles, and bishops. Since the Magna Carta, however, a pattern had
been established that the king would turn to the local lords when he needed revenues.
Because he needed money, Edward I did turn to the lords in the counties and towns.
These lords invited two knights from every county and two residents from each town
to meet with the Great Council to consent to new taxes. This group was the first
official Parliament and it met in 1295.
In time, Parliament had two houses, upper and lower. Nobles and church lords sat in
the House of Lords; knights and townspeople formed the House of Commons. During
the reign of Edward I, Parliament approved taxes, discussed politics, and passed laws.
Parliament had emerged as an institution. The law of the English kingdom would be
determined not by the king alone but by king and Parliament together. Much conflict
and even open war ensued before Parliament gained the dominant political power it
has today in England.

Europe in the High and Late Middle Ages

The High Middle Ages lasted from about 1000 to 1300, and this era represents the
peak of medieval culture and politics. European kingdoms experienced an incredible
burst of energy and growth. New farming practices, the growth of cities and trade, and
a growing population created a vigorous society.
Another reason for the vigor of the High Middle Ages was strong leadership by the
popes. Anew spiritual energy was found in the monasteries spreading across Europe.
Intellectual and artistic activity was equally vigorous in this period. The spires of
Gothic churches towered over growing cities as a beacon tofaith. Universities first
flourished in this period.
There, men like Thomas Aquinas developed a new system of Catholic thought on
eternal questions about man’s relationship to God.
All this changed in the Late Middle Ages, which lasted from 1300 to the early 1400s.
Europe faced an overwhelming number of disasters—the devastating plague of the
Black Death, a decline in commerce, seemingly constant warfare, political instability,
and the decline of the Church. No doubt, to some people it appeared that the last days
of the world were at hand. In the course of the fifteenth century, however, Europe
experienced a revival or rebirth of civilization (the Renaissance).

UNIDAD EDUCATIVA PARTICULAR “SAN JOSÉ DE CALASANZ”

Name:………………………………………………………………… Date: ……….…………………………….
Grade: 1ro bachillerato Subject: History and Social Sciences

PART II: LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES WORKSHEET

#1
Organization of Medieval Society and Feudalism

1. Why was Charlemagne not truly the “Emperor of the Romans”?

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2. What did English nobles want King John to sign?

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3. Explain how the feudal system work.

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4. How did Henry’s goal to become more powerful affect the development of law?
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5. Do you plan on attending college after graduation? When did universities first
flourish?
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6. What elements of society might the growth in trade influence?

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7. Define.
Feudalism: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Common Law: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Magna Carta: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Parliament: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

8. Identify.
Charlemagne: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Middle Ages: _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
Edward I: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

HOMEWORK:
 Investigate more about the characteristics of the Middle Ages social
organization, such as clothing, food, marriage, homes, and recreation. Present
the investigation and mention the sources.
 Imagine that you are a journalist attending a meeting of the first English
Parliament.What questions would you ask? Write a newsletter for the class
explaining what happened.

THE SPANISH COLONIES: Feudal or pre-capitalist?

Debate over the origins and present nature of Latin American societies has focused on
the problem of whether they should be seen as feudal or capitalist in character. Its
significance, moreover, has not been confined to theory, since different theories have
led to different political conclusions. Those who maintain that the Latin American
societies were historically constituted as feudal in character and have remained so ever
since andthe advocates of the opposite thesis that claim that Latin America has been
capitalist from its inception, since it was already fully incorporated into the world
market in the colonial period.
The Spanish, Portuguese, English, French and Dutch colonisation in America was
essentially capitalist. Its objectives were capitalist and not feudal: organising
production and discoveries tomake prodigious profits and to place goods on the world
market. They did not inaugurate a system of capitalist production because in America
there was not an army of workers in the free market. This is how the colonisers to
exploit America as capitalist, were forced to resort to non capitalist relations of
production: slavery or semi slavery of the-indigenous peoples. The three pillars on
which thecolonisation of America was settled were: production and discovery with
capitalist aims; semi-slave or slave relationships; feudal forms and terminology.

Impact on the development of Latin America

 With the discovery and conquest, the already in decline feudal model of the
Kingdom of Castile expanded in Latin America.
 The pope declared to Queen Elizabeth as the owner of the land.
 The conquistadors offered loyalty to the monarchy
 Iberian traditions were transferred to conquered lands, including slaveholding
and the patriarchal family. Portugal and Spain created centralized colonial
governments, dependent on professional bureaucrats and the clergy.
 The first phase of conquest—from 1492 to 1570—saw the establishment of the
administrative framework. Encomiendas, grants of Indian workers, were given
to settlers. From 1570 to 1700, the framework was fleshed out as institutions
took shape.
 The Spanish experience in establishing control of the Caribbean islands was
formative. Hispaniola (1493), Puerto Rico (1508), and Cuba (1511) were settled
by encomenderos. The Spanish developed a pattern of colonial urban design,
and political institutions such as governors. By the 1520s, a shift to ranching
and sugar plantations had taken place, with devastating results for the native
populations.
 While enslavement of Indians was generally stopped by about 1550, forced
laborwas common. For political reasons, the practice of granting encomiendas
was stopped by the 1620s. The practice of mita, or forced labor, in Peru, used
Indians for mining and other state projects. In spite of widespread economic
changes, indigenous culture showed great continuity.
 Miscegenation, mixing of races, produced mestizos, who were neither native
norSpanish. The sociedad de castas—society of castes—used race, wealth,
occupation,and place of birth to determine a person’s place in society. Attempts
to sortout the new categories had practical implications, as legal restrictions
were appliedto different groups. Although at the top of the hierarchy, whites
were also subdividedinto Spanish-born peninsulares and those born in the
colonies: creoles.
  In terms of revenue, mining was the most important colonial enterprise. The
looted gold from the first decades of conquest was followed across the Atlantic
by newly-mined gold and silver.
 Indian traditional agriculture continued, along with the Spanish haciendas, rural
estates. On the latter, crops such as sugar were grown for export.

UNIDAD EDUCATIVA PARTICULAR “SAN JOSÉ DE CALASANZ”

Name:………………………………………………………………… Date: ……….…………………………….
Grade: 1ro bachillerato Subject: History and Social Sciences

PART II: LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES WORKSHEET

#2
Impact on the development of Latin America

1. Were the Spanish Colonies feudal, capitalist, or both? Why?

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 2. WereEncomiendas and mitas feudal or pre-capitalist forms?
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3. Define.
Encomienda: _____________________________________________________
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Mita: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Society of Castes: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Hacienda: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

4. Identify.
Queen Elizabeth: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

HOMEWORK:
 Investigate more about the characteristics of the Encomienda and Mitasystems
used during the Spanish colonization. Present the investigation and mention the
sources.
 Investigate about the incidence of the conquest and colonization of the sixteenth
century in the current geopolitics and write a short essay about it.