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dbq middle ages

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The Middle Ages come into being around A.D. 500, which was after the western half of the Roman Empire collapsed. They lasted to about A.D.1400 and are referenced to as a period of time that experienced violence by Barbaric invasion, feudalism, disease, and strong feelings for faith. The Dark Ages, the Age of Feudalism and the Age of Faith are all appropriate titles, however the label that best fits is the Age of Faith because of the political, economic and social influence the church held. The middle ages are often identified as the Dark Age because of the Black Death, invasions by the Barbarians, and because of lack of enlightenment for the common people. A plague most likely originating from Asia spread throughout Europe. Towns and …show more content…

Their daily lives were centered on the manor and that was how it stayed until towns began to grow into cities after the crusades (OI). Feudalism had positive bearings because it was the solution for decentralized government and lack of protection but also held people back due to lack of social mobility.
The Age of Faith is most accurate for describing the Middle Ages because of the political, social and economic influence the church held. Feudalism was still not providing one united central government but instead many small ones and so the church gained a governmental authority over Western Europe. People were all working to try to get into Heaven, and because of that there was a lot of control over telling people what to do. The church could excommunicate people and even Kings if they felt that they were refusing to comply (OI). This gave the church power over the Kings because they controlled who would not be allowed to return to the church; if someone were excommunicated they would not be able to reach Heaven. At the time the bible was written in Latin, which only could be read to the common people by a clergy member who could explain what was written. With the reliance on the church the pope’s words and explanations were taken as God’s. The Truce of God stated different peace agreements, which they enforced by exerting their power and influence (Doc. 5). The Crusades were a major part of this because the church declared to try to capture the Holy land. Pope Urban

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