Chapter 1: The World Before the Opening of the Atlantic

Section 4: Europe Before Transatlantic Travel

Greek and Roman Government

Greek political system
400-500 B.C. (Classical Period) Greece began organizing city-states into democracies. Democracy form of government in which people rule for themselves. All male citizens in Athens had the right to participate in the lawmaking assembly. Direct Democracy people participate directly in making laws.

Greek and Roman Government

Roman Law and Government
Roman Republic was created in 509 B.C. Roman government was a republic not a democracy Romans elected representatives to vote on issues, they did not directly vote on laws. Laws were kept on public display so the citizens would know them. Emphasized equality before the law and people were assumed innocent until proven guilty.

Why Does This Matter to Americans?

When Americans began forming the government of the United States they took the ideas of the Greeks and Romans and put them together. We are a Democratic Republic.

Democracy and Republic

Direct Democracy
Every citizen votes on every issue. Ideas are debated at an assembly of all citizens. Greece

Republic
Citizens elect representatives to vote on issues. Ideas are debated at an assembly of representatives. Roman Empire

Middle Ages in Europe

Middle Ages: lasted from late 400s to 1300s in Europe. Roman Empire began to fall around 400.
People of Europe could no longer count on the protection of the Roman Empire. Constant fear of invasions from Vikings and Germanic tribes.

What were the people of Europe to do about protection?

Feudalism in Europe.
Feudalism was the answer. What exactly is feudalism?
Nobles (Lords) could not depend on Kings for protection. They had to defend their own lands. Knights (Vassals) were given land in exchange for military service. Peasants were allowed to farm on land owned by knights (Manors). They exchanged the food they grew in order to receive protection.

Nobles (Lords) Knights (Vassals)

Peasants

Feudalism in Europe
Feudalism brought stability back to Europe. Merchants now felt safe to travel and trade. New farming methods brought a surplus of food. More food led to increase in population. Economy began to grow. Serfs ran way to towns to become craftspeople.

Decline of Feudalism
As towns and trade grew the feudal system weakened because the serfs left the manors to live in the towns. Bubonic plague (Black Death) swept across Europe in 1347. It killed of the population reducing the number of workers. What do you think happened next?

Effects of the Black Death

Huge shortage of workers. The peasants that left the manors could now demand wages for their labor. They began to move into the cities which caused the cities of Europe to grow rapidly. Led to the growth of the merchant / trader class.