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Hi! I'm Studyfin, your history tutor. Today, we will explore how major events and ideas shaped life in medieval times!
During the Middle Ages, the Christian Church split into two major branches in 1054. This event is called the Great Schism, which divided the Christian world into Roman Catholicism in the West and Eastern Orthodoxy in the East.
Roman Catholics looked to the Pope in Rome as their leader, while Eastern Orthodox Christians followed the Patriarch in Constantinople. These two churches developed unique social customs, art, and languages that influenced European culture for centuries.
Later, huge events shook the foundations of medieval society. The Crusades opened up new trade routes, the Black Death drastically reduced the population, and the Hundred Years' War weakened the power of traditional feudal lords.
Explain how the Black Death contributed to the decline of feudalism in medieval Europe.
- Identify the core event: The Black Death was a massive plague that killed about one-third of Europe's population.
- Analyze the social effect: With far fewer workers available, surviving peasants realized their labor was highly valuable.
- Analyze the economic effect: Peasants began demanding higher wages and lower rents from their noble landlords.
- Explain the shift in power: When landlords refused, peasants could leave to find better work elsewhere, breaking their old ties to the land.
- Formulate the conclusion: This loss of control by the nobles weakened the feudal system and gave common people more freedom.
