Medieval period

The period of approximately 1000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 15th century. It is also called the "Middle Ages".

5-point summary

1. Feudal system
Power was not held by a central government. Kings granted land to nobles in exchange for armies. The nobles then granted the land to knights . And the peasants worked that land in exchange for protection. Land = power.

2. Stagnant society
You were born into your class and you stayed there:

• Nobles : They fought and ruled from castles.
• Clergy : Monks and priests. They controlled religion and knew how to read.
• Peasants : 90% of the people. They lived to grow wheat and survive. They could not leave the land.

3. A hard, short, and religious life

• Economy : It was all countryside. If there was a bad harvest, there was hunger.
• Life expectancy : 30-35 years due to wars, diseases and poor food.
• Religion : The Catholic Church explained everything. Fear of God and hell marked daily life.

4. Technology and War
Few advances: the plow, windmills, stone castles. Knights in armor were the ultimate warriors in battle, until gunpowder arrived. Wars between lords were commonplace.

5. Why did it end?
The Black Death killed a third of Europe, trade made cities rich, and gunpowder rendered castles and knights obsolete. Kings grew stronger, and feudalism died.

In one sentence :
It was an era of castles, peasants, and a strong religious tradition, where 90% of the population worked the land for a feudal lord in exchange for protection, in a world without strong governments or science.

1. Field = the base

• Heavy plow + horse collar : Allowed cultivation of difficult lands. More food = more people.
• Water/wind mills : The "factories" of the time. They ground grain and saved the work of dozens of people.
• Rotation of 3 fields : It prevented the land from being depleted.

2. War

• Stone castles : Fortresses to withstand sieges for months.
• Crossbow : A cheap weapon that could kill a knight in armor.
• Gunpowder : It came to an end. Cannons brought down walls and made castles and knights obsolete.

3. Daily life

• Mechanical clock : Churches "told the time" with bells.
• Eyeglasses : So that the monks wouldn't go blind copying books.
• Chimney : It removed the smoke from the houses.
• Buttons and horseshoes : Better clothes and more useful horses.

4. Knowledge

• Paper : Cheaper than parchment or leather.
• Gutenberg's printing press, 1440 : End of the Middle Ages. It made books massive and fast.
• Compass : Improved navigation.

In 1 line :
Simple but key technology: better plows and mills provided food, gunpowder killed castles, and the printing press killed the Middle Ages.

During this period, due to economic problems as well as population decline, consanguineous relationships were more common, although uncommon and not entirely frowned upon.
During this time, many things were viewed negatively because of the church, which often used its power to prevent anyone else from having more power than them.
In this era, women are housewives.
In this era, education is very scarce, with only 1 or 2 out of every 10 people knowing how to read and write.