Western Europe: the edge of the Old World.

Hierarchy and Authority

The Hierarchy of Western Europe was a system of lords and vassals called the feudal system.

The Expansion of European power

With the expansion of Charles the Great’s empire the system of vassalage became commonplace in european society.

This system assured not only military strength but also public authority.

Absolute MonarchsSpain- King Ferdinand 1468, Sicily-1479,Aragon.

France- Louis VIII 1610.England- Henry VIII 1509, Edward VI 1547, Elizabeth I 1558.

Peasants

By 1450 almost all the peasants in Western Europe had been able to buy freedom from their lords, paying fixed rents instead of labor.

Peasants Continued

The incentive to work for themselves rather than a lord caused greater agricultural production and a revival of Europe’s population.

After the invention of the printing press, literacy among the peasants rose.

Expanding trade networks… the western European ones.

The Columbian ExchangeEuropeans gained more than gold from the New World.

Tomatoes, beans, cacao, peanuts, and others items made their way to Europe as well, greatly transforming European diets.

Expanding trade networks… the western European ones.

Native Americans received wheat, grapes, sugar, cattle, horses, and new plants that disrupted the indigenous wildlife.

Europeans and Africans also brought diseases that wiped out local populations.

Expanding trade networks… the western European ones.

The Atlantic Triangular Slave TradeThis is a trade network between West Africa, the Americas, and European colonial powers.

Sugar was turned into molasses from the caribbean. It was then sold into the European countries.

Expanding trade networks… the western European ones.

The profit then bought manufactured goods to barter for slaves back in West Africa. The slaves were shipped to the sugar plantations completing the cycle.

Myths

The myth of El Dorado is a fictional city of gold or great riches. The origin of El Dorado is based on a ritual from a tribe located in the mountains of Columbia. A chief gets covered in gold dust then dives into the lake. The villagers then throw jewels into the lake to appease their gods.

Religions

The Protestant Reformation split church solidarity and forced monarchs to choose between Catholicism or Protestantism.

Martin Luther led the Reformation for the Protestants by writing 95 thesis statements condemning the Catholic church.

Religions continued

The Catholics then responded with a Counter-Reformation to assert Catholic directness.

With the spread of Luther’s ideas many monarchs favored or opposed them leading into Religious Warfare.

Religions continued

By 1600 Europe becomes religiously diverse.

Holy warriors

The Spanish used conquistadors to convert the natives to Catholicism. These men were seen as Holy Warriors because of their mission to convert even by use of force.

Holy warriors continued

However more violence occurred than conversion.The conquistadors built permanent settlements and forced the natives into work as slaves.

This system was then replaced in 1542 by new laws from Spain.

Quiz Questions

1.Kings gave land to knights and Lords served the knights. T/F

2.Henry VIII was the King of England. T/F3.Peasants were able to buy freedom from Lords. T/F

4.The printing press decreased literacy. T/F

5.Only potatoes came from Europe in the C.E.

T/F

Quiz Questions6. The Atlantic Triangular Trade went to Asia.T/F7. El Dorado is real. T/F8. Martin Luther fought on the Catholic side. T/F9. Conquistadores did not believe in violence. T/F10. Native Americans were enslaved by the Spanish. T/F