Adam Taylor

                                                                                                                                                Per. 3 AP US History

                                                                                                                                                6-8-04

                                                                                                                                                Chapter 1 Sect. 4 Outline

European Cultures

I. European Society

                A. In 1095 Pope Urban II started a two century holy war called the Crusades for Jerusalem.

                                1. All of Europe started to change after doing nothing great since the Roman Empire ruled                           but fell in 500 A.D.

                B. Feudalism

                                1. Due to the fall of Rome feudalism started.

                                                A. Land is power and everyone wants it.

                                                B. Lots of fighting due to no strong central government.

                C. The Manorial System

                                1. Serfs were tied to the land.

                                2. Manorialism- describes the economic ties between nobles and peasants.

                D. An Improving Economy

                                1. The economy of Europe began to improve circa 1000, after 500 years of terrible                                        economy.

                                2. Inventions like a better plow, horse collar, improved live and farm production.

                                3. Between 1000 and 1200 growth of towns was great.

                E. The Church

                                1. The Church had a hard time with the fall of Rome.

                                2. Gave services through its own courts and laws with clergy, doctrine, marriage, and                                            morals.

                                3. Serious punishments like excommunication.

II. Expanding Horizons

                A. Due to Pope Urban II starting the Crusades Europe saw the world a lot more.

                                1. People learned of new things and wanted them such as: spices, sugar, melons,                                                          tapestries, silk.

                B. Trade increased greatly in places like Pisa, Venice, Genoa.

                C. Mongolian in the 1200’s caused more trade in Asia via Chinese goods.

                D. By 1300 Europe was importing vast amounts of Chinese goods, but the Mongolian Empire fell                                   and the prices already high soared even more.

                                1. This caused Europe to look for a sea route to Asia.

III. New States, New Technology.

                A. Now in the 1300’s European nations started exploring the waters for a route to Asia.

                B. Government: Strong States Emerge

                                1. Feudalism falls due to increase in trade giving rulers power and centralization.

                                2. By the mid-1400’s four strong states Portugal, Spain, England, France.

                                3. In the early 1400’s Portugal started the exploring followed by the rest.

                C. The Renaissance Spurs Discovers

                                1. The Renaissance started circa 1350 and lasted to 1600, and was a great age of change                                       and growth.

                                2. Was a rebirth of Greek and Roman culture.

                D. New Technology

                                1. By the early 1400’s Europeans had acquired the navigation technology they needed to                                                  search for a route to Asia.

                                                A. One was the astrolabe a device from Greeks but refined by the Arabs.

                                                                1. Used the position of the sun to determine the direction, latitude and                                                                             local time.

                                                B. Another was the compass from the Chinese.

                                                C. Late in the 1400’s ships were outfitted with triangle shaped lateen sails.

                                                D. In the 1400’s the Portuguese made ships called caravel.

                                                                1. Able to go against the flow of water, due to the sails.

IV. Portuguese Exploration

                A. In 1419 Prince Henry of Portugal aka Prince Henry the Navigator, set up a center of                                                  astronomical, and geographical studies at Sagres on Portugal southern tip. 

                B. Then in beginning in 1420 , Portuguese captains began traveling and mapping African west                             coast.

                C. Then in 1488 Portuguese ship commanded by Bartolomeu Dias reached the tip of Africa.