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In the middle ages, women had many different roles. Women had the obligation of taking over the land when her husband or father was off at war. She would have to oversee all of the working that was done by the peasants and she would have to make sure that everything that was needed to be done was indeed done. The woman would take over all of the responsibilities that came with the land. During marriage, the women got land, and would gain power in her household. She would be respected as if she was the man of the house.
There were also many differances between married women and single women. Unmarried adolescent women, widows, and someimes women from the knight and noble classes were given rights that only men were allowed. Also, tadolescant women and widows could get properties little by little. This doesn't go without saying that married women had many things that unmarried women didn't. For example, women would actually lose power when they got married, they would have to give their land to their husbands. By doing this not only did she lose her power, but her husband gained power. Also, the dowry that the women gave during the marriage had a part in it that merged her land with her husbands land, and he had control over most of it anyway.
The women in the Middle Ages had a wide variety of roles. They could play a huge part in land ownership depending on their marital status. If they were married, then their husbands took over their land according to the dowry, and if they weren't married then they could own as much land as they could get. This would be much better to some people, some would view it as freedom, while others would view marriage as better because you have someone to see everyday, and it's less work. No matter how you look at it, women didn't have a very important role.
www.usm.maine.edu/~flc/emily.htm, no author, 10-09-02
The Middle Ages were started in the year 476AD, and it marked the end of the Rome's glory, and the beginning of the next 100 years of Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were 100 years that no one will forget, but that everyone wants to forget. Nothing interesting happened during them, and people also call the Middle Ages, the Dark Age. The reason it is called the Dark Age is because it marked the fall of the Greek and Roman empires, which were two of the strongest empires ever existing.
Another reason the Middle Ages were so un-liked is because of the fact that it was very hard to live during them. Most of the people were illiterate, so the education was not that great. Also, people were accustomed to the way the conditions were, and they thought that the odds of it improving were terrible, and they would live like that forever. The only thing that the people liked about the Middle Ages was the religion of Christianity. The people were very firm believers. They also had the hope that life in heaven would cancel out the terrible life on Earth. The times were hard on everyone, including kings.
In other parts of the world, the Dark age were actually good for them. The Muslims flourished the most. They were from the Middle East and North Africa. They studied the works of ancient Greeks, and even improved on them. Also, they're civilization was great in sub-Saharan Africa. Also in China, India, and the Americas. The Middle Ages were also coming to an end near 1450. In a span of about 100 years, Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas. Not only that, but literacy was quickly spreading, and scientists were making great new discoveries. Finally, the bad times were coming to an end.
www.mrdowling.com/703middleages.html, Mr. Dowling,
10-09-02
The crusades were probably the most interesting part of the entire Middle Ages. They were battles over many things, the most important being the holy land of Jerusalem. Christians contact with the Muslims were mainly one way, through military. After the death of the Muhammed, the Muslims moved up the African coast. But the western European Christians were too busy with their own conflicts to even notice. Finslly, after the Muslims defeated the Visigothic rulers of Spain, and after they started pushing the Christians up north, the Christians started paying attention. This triggered many fights to come between them. Once the Muslims began to attack the Medditeranian coast, the Frankish leader Charles Martel got his army, and won so overwhelmingly, the Muslims had to retreat. 126
Before the crusades, the Muslims were very nice to the Chrisitans, they offered help to the Christians visiting holy places near Muslim land. But eventually there were many long wars between the Muslims and Christians. Many people died as a result of the wars. Both sides suffered the blows of loss, not just one particular side. Many people were surprised by the Crusaders winning at first, even the crusaders themselves. The crusaders were merciless, killing anything in their way, they even burned down a synogogue with Jews hiding inside of it, and only a few Muslims got away by buying their ways out.230
The crusades were very long, bloody, and hard wars. Both religions had their high points, it wasn't a one-sided victory total. Also both sides had great leaders. On the Muslim side there was Saladin, perhaps one of the greatest leaders in history. The Muslims rallied for many victories behind Saladin. There were very little positive things that came out of this for either side, but winning a crusade was definitely the biggest. Either way the wars were long, hard and brutal.
mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/ wc1/lectures/21crusades.html , Professor Gerhard Rempel, 10-09-02
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