Transcript A.D. 500

MIDDLE AGES
A.D. 500 - 1500
CHANGES IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY

I. AGRICULTURE – Expanding civilization required
increased food supply; climate became warmer between
800-1200 AD
*Switch from Oxen to horses
*Three Field System – separated fields into 3 instead
of 2 ; rotated crops
*Food Production increased
*People Lived Longer
CHANGES IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
II.TRADES:
*Development of GUILDS
*Made up of workers who did same job
*Worked to improve economic/social conditions
*Set Standards and Prices/Made Rules
*Merchant Guild; Craft Guild

CHANGES IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
III. FINANCE – COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION
*Expansion of trade and banking; more workers were
needed
*borrowing money led to creation of banks by Catholic
Church
*Jews became chief sources of loans
*Merchants’ wealth and power expanded

CHANGES IN MEDIEVAL SOCIETY
IV. Urban life renewal
V. Revival of learning
* Centers of learning establishedUniversities
* Contact with Muslims during Crusades
increased available knowledge
BUBONIC PLAGUE – “BLACK DEATH”
Revival of trade, but trade sometimes carried
more than goods.
 Highly Contagious Disease
 Spread by fleas that lived on rats
 Called the black death because once bitten by
flea, people developed swellings and black
bruises
 Quickly became epidemic – no cure

BUBONIC PLAGUE – “BLACK DEATH”
Began in Asia – 1300’s – carried by Mongols
along Silk Road; spread to Middle East and
North Africa
 1347 plague swept through Italy; brought by
traders to Europe (Spain, France, Germany,
England)
 Spreads Quickly – in 4 years spreads all
through Europe

EFFECTS OF PLAGUE
Population Loss – about 1/3 of European pop.
 Trade Declined – prices rose, production fell
 Feudalism Declined – peasant revolt
 Church Suffered – questioned faith
 Jews were Blamed – persecuted/killed
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