Chapter 14 - The Latin West - 1200 - 1500

     The Latin West is defined by historians as the part of Europe that adhered to the Latin rites of Christianity and used Latin intellectually. It was faced with the Great Famine of 1315-17 and the Black Death in 1347 - 51, from which one in three people died.
     After the Black Death, the population began to grow again, labor was equalized, and agriculture was systematized (crop rotations between three fields began). Serfdom began disappearing after the Jacquerie rebellion in France (1358), Wat Tyler's rebellion in London (1381) and the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
     As serfdom disappeared, people began using water wheels for power to grind flour and shape iron, changing the landscape as they did so. The Fourth Crusade (which really wasn't a crusade at all) took place in 1204. It was an assault on Constantinople which allowed Italy to expand its trading powers. As Italian trade expanded, German traders formed the Hanseatic League, providing an economic and defense alliance which peaked in the 1300's. Guilds, associations of merchants, formed in other areas. Trade fairs began occurring in Champagne and wool became an important trade item all over Europe.
     Banking was important in trade, and the largest banks of the time were owned by the Medici family in Florence. They started the practice of checking, which the Fugger family took over from them.
     The European Renaissance began in the mid-1300's. Universities began and practiced scholasticism, which incorporated philosophy and theology into its teachings. Arabic texts were translated, bringing Middle Eastern knowledge into Europe. The European Renaissance also brought about the humanist movement in literature, which focused on poetry, history, languages and ethics, and was able to spread in print. Johann Gutenberg invented the (European form of the) printing press, and there were 10 million books in print in Europe by 1500.
     The European Renaissance brought with it artists like Michelangelo and da Vinci and the theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam, who translated the Bible and corrected its grammar.
     Between 1378 and 1415, the Latin Church was divided when Rome and Avignon (in France) both wanted one of their citizens as Pope. This was known as the Great Western Schism. Things were not going well in politics either. In 1215, King John of England signed the Magna Carta to acknowledge that monarchs were still subject to the law, the church was independent, and nobles were in their positions by heredity. The Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453) was a series of campaigns over France's throne involving the English and the French.  Joan of Arc fought in this war, thinking she had received a message from G-d. She was captured and burned at the stake as a witch. After the War, Parliament was formed in England, putting a final check on royals' power.
     At this time, the Jews were expelled from many countries. They were allowed to stay in Rome, however, because the pope offered them safety. Spain and Portugal were retaken by Christians, with the last Muslims being expelled in 1502.