8th Grade Social Studies

Chapter 3 Notes
Sec. 1 – A Changing Europe
The Norse in North America

Leif Eriksson and his Norse crew camped somewhere on

the North American eastern coast in 1001. They left with timber
and grapes. He called the land he had visited Vinland. He
convinced others to visit, ultimately forming a Norse settlement in
North America. Unfortunately, the Norse and the Native
Americans couldn’t keep from fighting, and after five years of
conflict, the Norse left Vinland and never returned.
The Norse told legends called sagas to educate their people
on the expeditions.

Europe and the Middle Ages

Meanwhile, the Europeans were just ending a period of
isolation known as the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages followed
the fall of Rome, when hundreds of small kingdoms formed and
were ruled by monarchs (kings and queens).

The Feudal System

The Europeans lived on manors, run by lords. The people
who worked on a manor received protection from their lord in
return. The system of managing the land and people in this way is
called the feudal system. Landless peasants, or serfs, worked
on small farms and shared their profits with the lord. During this
time there was little opportunity for people to communicate and
exchange ideas.
The Decline of the Feudal System
Many workers were not happy with their lives under the
feudal system. Some people managed to escape and move to
towns to earn their own living. This did not, however, always
make life more comfortable. The towns became very crowded,
which was a big factor in the “Black Death”. This disease was
carried by rats and fleas, and destroyed what was left of the
feudal system.
The New Middle Class
Following the Black Death people began to move back to
towns. From this point, a middle class made up of mostly
merchants, lawyers, doctors, and some government officials,
was formed.

Crusades to the Holy Land

Religious wars were fought in Palestine. It was a coveted
Holy Land for both Christians and Muslims. When Turkish
Muslims took over Jerusalem and closed it to Christians, the
Catholic Church became angry, and the Christians fought in a
series of wars called the Crusades. The wars also caused the
Crusaders to bring back new ideas from the Muslim culture, such
as using spices and new medicines. This opened up trade
between Europe and the Far East.

The Rise of Nations in Europe

When the fighting ended it became safe for merchants to
travel and trade. In the 1200s, European monarchs gained so
much strength; they began forming nations such as France,
England, Spain, Portugal, and many others. The Italians gained
much knowledge from the Muslims, including that of the compass,
astrolabs, and other sailing instruments.
Marco Polo travelled to East Asia (what is now China). He
spent 17 years serving an Asian ruler called the Khan. He learned
a lot from them. When the Polos returned to Italy, Marco shared
stories of the riches he had found, about coal, reading from
books, using paper money, and fire departments.

A Rebirth of Learning
As people began to read Polo’s book, Description of the
World, Europeans became more curious about the outside
world. This curiosity sparked the Renaissance, a new interest in
learning and knowledge. This began in the middle 1300s and
lasted until around 1600.
During the Renaissance, artists such as Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci created beautiful works of art. William
Shakespeare produced many great works also. Scientists worked
toward better understanding the human body, as well as
studying the planets with instruments they invented.