Unit 6 Top of Form Bottom of Form Overview The Birth of Europe: The Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance In Unit 6, we will be focusing on the birth of a distinct European culture and its development during the Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the invasion of Germanic tribes, the early Middle Ages witnessed the rise of a patchwork of dynasties in Britain, France, Italy, and Germany, with much of Spain under the control of an Islamic Empire. A unifying force within the diverse European kingdoms was the Catholic Church. In 800 CE, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, ruler of the Franks, as the Holy Roman Emperor, creating not only a new political entity, but reinforcing the ties between holy and secular authority in Western Europe. During the High Middle Ages (1000 -1300 CE), local dynasties continued to form, with developing nation states in Britain and France, and smaller political entities in Italy and Germany. The economic system that prevailed during the Middle Ages was feudalism, which gave authority to lords, who in turn acted as patrons for vassal knights. The lords and knights provided protection for the peasants and farmers whose labors fueled the feudal system. During these centuries, the papacy became increasingly powerful, leading to the Crusades to retake the Holy Land from the Islamic Empire. The Late Middle Ages (1300-1450) witnessed one of the great crises of world history: the Black Death (1346–53), a plague that swept through Europe, killing over thirty percent of the continent’s population. The Hundred Years War (1337 - 1453) between France and England further changed the political landscape of Europe. Peasant uprisings reshaped the feudal system as did the growth of towns and ultimately urban environments. The fifteenth century Renaissance symbolized Europe’s transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern world, beginning in the city-states of Italy. The Renaissance was a literal rebirth of classical learning, the rediscovery of Greek and Latin texts and ancient art. New philosophical movements, such as humanism, placed mankind, rather than the divine or supernatural, as the central focus of rational thought. The painting and sculpture of the Renaissance embodied these new beliefs as well as the revival of ancient art forms. By the end of this unit, you will be able to: 1. Compare and contrast the political, economic, and social characteristics that define the Middle Ages. 2. Analyze the changing role and relationship between the church and various European states throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance Era.  3. Describe how politics, culture, and art of the Italian Renaissance differed from that of the Middle Ages. The image to the left is linked to an interactive map where you can see the approximate geographical location and learn more information about the civilizations discussed in this unit. If you are accessing this course from the Blackboard mobile application ...

1. Unit 6
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Overview
The Birth of Europe: The Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance
In Unit 6, we will be focusing on the birth of a distinct
European culture and its development during the Middle Ages
and Italian Renaissance. After the fall of the Roman Empire and
the invasion of Germanic tribes, the early Middle Ages
witnessed the rise of a patchwork of dynasties in Britain,
France, Italy, and Germany, with much of Spain under the
control of an Islamic Empire. A unifying force within the
diverse European kingdoms was the Catholic Church. In 800
CE, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, ruler of the Franks, as
the Holy Roman Emperor, creating not only a new political
entity, but reinforcing the ties between holy and secular
authority in Western Europe.
During the High Middle Ages (1000 -1300 CE), local dynasties
continued to form, with developing nation states in Britain and
France, and smaller political entities in Italy and Germany. The
economic system that prevailed during the Middle Ages was
feudalism, which gave authority to lords, who in turn acted as
patrons for vassal knights. The lords and knights provided
protection for the peasants and farmers whose labors fueled the
feudal system. During these centuries, the papacy became
increasingly powerful, leading to the Crusades to retake the
Holy Land from the Islamic Empire.
The Late Middle Ages (1300-1450) witnessed one of the great
crises of world history: the Black Death (1346–53), a plague
that swept through Europe, killing over thirty percent of the
continent’s population. The Hundred Years War (1337 - 1453)
between France and England further changed the political
landscape of Europe. Peasant uprisings reshaped the feudal
system as did the growth of towns and ultimately urban
environments. The fifteenth century Renaissance symbolized

2. Europe’s transition from the Middle Ages to the early modern
world, beginning in the city-states of Italy. The Renaissance
was a literal rebirth of classical learning, the rediscovery of
Greek and Latin texts and ancient art. New philosophical
movements, such as humanism, placed mankind, rather than the
divine or supernatural, as the central focus of rational thought.
The painting and sculpture of the Renaissance embodied these
new beliefs as well as the revival of ancient art forms.
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast the political, economic, and social
characteristics that define the Middle Ages.
2. Analyze the changing role and relationship between the
church and various European states throughout the Middle Ages
and into the Renaissance Era.
3. Describe how politics, culture, and art of the Italian
Renaissance differed from that of the Middle Ages.
The image to the left is linked to an interactive map where you
can see the approximate geographical location and learn more
information about the civilizations discussed in this unit. If you
are accessing this course from the Blackboard mobile
application, you will need to visit the link or open the
Interactive Map pdf listed below.
•
Unit 6 Interactive Map
•
Unit 6 Interactive Map Text Transcript
Unit Topic 1 - The Early Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe broke into a number
of smaller states, which would eventually become the basis for
many of the modern nations on the continent. By 1000 CE, an
economic system called feudalism, which depended on a series
of obligations that existed among different classes of people,
would spread throughout Europe.
Wallech, S., Daryaee, T., Hendricks, C., Negus, A. L., Wan, P.
P., & Bakken, G. M. (2013). World history volume I: A concise
thematic analysis (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

3. Chapter 15: The European Middle Ages- The Failure of
Tradition
, pp. 294-303
Overview of the economic system of medieval Europe,
feudalism and its local expression within the manor system.
Includes global events taking place during this time period.
Watch Video
The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course
World History #14
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Topic 2
Unit Topic 2 - The High and Late Middle Ages
As the Middle Ages developed, the Catholic Church continued
to dominate the social landscape of Europe. Major events, such
as the Crusades, the Black Death, and the Hundred Years War,
led to an increase in conflict with the Islamic Empire, a huge
depopulation of the continent, and new political developments.
Wallech, S., Daryaee, T., Hendricks, C., Negus, A. L., Wan, P.
P., & Bakken, G. M. (2013). World history volume I: A concise
thematic analysis (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Chapter 15: Part Three- Europe and the High Middle Ages
(1000-1300)
, pp. 303-328
Overview of the causes of the Crusades, a series of wars fought
between medieval Europe and the Islamic Empire in the Middle
East.
Watch Video

4. The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World
History #15
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Unit 6.1 Discussion: The Middle Ages
With your classmates, discuss the impact of feudalism and the
church in creating class structure during the middle Ages.
Debate if these political, economic, and religious influences had
a positive or negative effect on life during the middle Ages.
Make sure to provide specific examples for each of the
following groups: peasants/serfs, nobles, and clergy. When
responding to your classmates, provide new, additional research
and thoughts to support or disprove their position. Make sure to
use proper APA format for all citations provided and include a
reference list for the citations you use.
Topic 3
Unit Topic 3 - The Renaissance
The Renaissance began as an intellectual movement, humanism,
that re-established the importance of the individual. In the
realm of art, the Italian Renaissance led to the production of
paintings, sculptures, and buildings that transformed influences
from ancient Greece and Rome into a new expression of the
human spirit. Economically, the Renaissance created more
commerce, cities, and ultimately, exploration.
Wallech, S., Daryaee, T., Hendricks, C., Negus, A. L., Wan, P.

5. P., & Bakken, G. M. (2013). World history volume I: A concise
thematic analysis (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Chapter 15: Part Five- The Renaissance
, pp. 328-337
Discussion of the intellectual changes of the Renaissance for the
elite members of society, while daily life remained constant for
most of the population.
The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?- Crash Course World History
#22
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Overview of the main artistic figures and achievements of the
Renaissance.
Watch Video
Renaissance - Overview - Goodbye-Art Academy
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Unit 6.2 Discussion: The Renaissance
Choose a work of art or architecture produced during the Middle

6. Ages and one created during the Italian Renaissance. Describe
the basic features of each work of art. Then argue how those
two works of art represent the changing political and cultural
identity of the Renaissance in comparison with the Middle
Ages. When responding to your classmates, include new,
additional research to support or disprove their position. Make
sure to use proper APA format for all citations provided and
include a reference list for the citations you use.