* The Age of Exploration- Week 2(2S)

Good Morning!

Things you will complete this week:

Journaling

Monday

Remember Charlemagne

He was king of the Franks and when he died his son Louis took the throne.

Louis had a rather weak reign, and before he even died his 3 sons divided the empire by civil war.

About 3 years after their fathers death, in 843, the 3 sons met at Verdun and came to an agreement.  This was the Treaty of Verdun.  It divided the empire into 3 parts.

This treaty is important because it was the beginning of the formation of the modern nations of France and Germany.

A New King

After the Treaty of Verdun, France ( named for the Franks) was beginning to develop into its own kingdom.

The French nobles had acquired land, wealth, vassals, and strong armies.

In 987, Hugh Capet was chosen to be king.

He started the line of French kings known as the Capetians.  Which is significant because it was also known as the time the modern French nation began.

He was known for his meekness.  This is one reason why the lords chose him for king.  This way they were able to control him and in essence had more control than the king.

He only really controlled a small patch of land called Ile-de-France.

It was his own feudal domain.  As the nation of France continued to develop into a nation-state, the kings lands grew and so his domain grew.  The nobles were losing their control!

The Beginning of the French Monarchy

Louis VI

He was also known as Louis “the Fat.”

When he came to the throne the Capetians were ready to get rid of the nobles.  He strengthened the king’s power in Ile-de-France.  Before Louis, feudal lords would sometimes defy the king, but Louis made sure at least in his domain that would not happen.

He established and enforced his authority by punishing people who did wrong.

Louis cared for the poor, which helped him gain the support from the church.

To increase the amount of land his family could own he arranged the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the future Louis VII, his son.

Shortly after the marriage, he died.

Phillip II

Another Capetian king that made the monarchy stronger was Phillip II.

Also known as Philip “Augustus”

He actually made the monarchy stronger than any other king!

He went on the “Crusade of the Kings” with Richard I

He weakened England by persuading Richard and John of England to fight against their father, Henry II.

He conquered the English territories of Normandy and Aquitaine.

He made Paris the center of culture and government.

demesne- land retained by Phillip

Louis IX

One of France’s most memorable kings- also known as “the Saint”

Gained the throne at age 12.

He improved French law in ways that appealed to people and increased his power.

France was the most powerful country in Europe at the end of Louis’ reign.

The people of France began to think of themselves as Frenchmen.  There was the love and pride of country that Louis gave to the people.

Philip IV

Also known as “the Fair”

He is known for his feud with the papacy.

Boniface VIII was pope at the time.

Laws were being disputed.

*taxing the clergy with the pope’s consent, whether clergy should have a trial in ordinary courts of law.

Finally Philip arrested Boniface- it is known as the “Babylonian Captivity of the papacy”- it showed how powerful the French king had become.

Estate Generals.

The French version of the Parliament.

Is what maintained order in France.

Consisted of the First Estate which were the clergy.

The Second Estate which was nobility.

And the Third Estate, which consisted of people that spoke for the majority of the public.

The Estates General did not have any power of its own.  They had to do what the king said.  When they met it was to approve the king’s laws.

The Hundred Years’ War

The war between France and England.

This war established the absolute power of the French monarchy

France came out of the Middle Ages a strong nation-state

Unlike it’s English counterpart France still had no real government, political freedom and still did not have a true understanding of Christianity.

It was no closer to liberty than when they were under feudalism.

Let’s review!

French Monarchy (journal entry)

Answer the following questions in your journal

1. Who was the king that began the Capetian line of kings?  When did this happen? Why is this significant?
2. How did Louis VI strengthen the power of the king?
3. List some of the accomplishments of Philip II
4. Explain the conflict between Philip IV and Boniface VIII.  What did it do for the French monarchy?
5. In what way did the Hundred Years’ War help France?  How was France different from England after the war?

The Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration was a time when European influence went across the globe and the nations of Europe began to explore distant lands across uncharted oceans.

Europe had an enormous influence  and impact on the rest of the world.  One of the most important influences was biblical Christianity.

We are going to look at some of the explorers that had an impact on our world!

Leif Ericson (journal entry)

Watch this video

Leif discovered America around 1000 AD, but God in His wisdom kept America hidden until the right time!

Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian said it this way: “Just then [ at the right time in history]…. America was discovered, as if it had been kept in reserve by the Deity and had just risen from beneath the waters of the Deluge.“

*Add to your journal a picture of Leif and notes from the video

Marco Polo (journal entry)

                            

young Marco

The Far East was one of the distant places Europeans wanted to explore more of.  It was said of those that traveled there by land, that it was full of wealth and splendor!  One of the most important explorers of this land was Marco Polo

Learn more about Marco Polo and watch the video

The Silk Road (journal entry)

Watch video on the Silk Road

The Silk Road has an important place in history especially during the Age of Exploration

Tuesday

Europe and Asia were now trading with each other, and the Arabs were the “middle men”.  Asia was thought to be an indefinite land mass, until the Europeans discovered that it could be reached by water.

Finding a sea route to the Far East became a major goal of the Age of Exploration

Prince Henry the Navigator (journal entry)

He was the son of King John I of Portugal.  He wanted to outwit the Arabs.  So his goal was to find new trade routes to the Orient by way of Africa.  Many lands were claimed for Portugal during this time of exploration.

Read about Prince Henry

Question: How did Prince Henry lead the way in the great age of exploration?

Prince Henry was a major influence in the explorers that followed him.

Bartolomeu Dias (journal entry)

We don’t really hear a lot about this guy, but he is pretty important!

Read about Bartolomeu Dias

He was a Portuguese explorer who sailed all the way around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope- a feat most thought was impossible!  This encouraged other explorers.

Vasco De Gama (journal entry)

Learn about Vasco de Gama and watch the video

Wednesday

Christopher Columbus (journal entry)

In 1488 when Dias returned from his voyage, Christopher Columbus was there to greet him.

Read about Christopher Columbus and watch the video

Thursday

Journal each of the following:

You can use this link if you would like for information

1. Ferdinand and Isabella
2. Amerigo Vespucci
3. Ferdinand Magellan
4. Ponce de Leon
5. Vasco de Balboa
6. John Cabot

The growth of modern nations, and the discovery and exploration of the New World, helped to prepare Europe for the Modern Age.  But these would fade in the light of an even greater movement- a movement that gave people not only personal but spiritual liberty- the Protestant Reformation!

See you Friday 🙂

Ms. Eunice