Document 3
The role of the Church was very large in Medieval Europe. More than any other institution, it unified
Europeans and gave every person a sense of how the world worked. Since political leaders only had
local power, the Church was the most powerful institution. This secondary source describes the multiple
roles the Church played in the Middle Ages. Source: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/
middleages/church.html
Document 4
The map below represents Europe in the later Middle Ages. Europe, although isolated at first, became
more connected to the established global trade along the Silk Roads. The increase in trade connecting
Europe to places along the Silk Roads was initiated by non-Christian merchants (Jews and Muslims-
many from the Middle East). Jewish merchants were known throughout Europe for bringing luxury
goods to the major towns and trade centers of Europe. Due to their wealth, Jews were often persecuted
in hard times, especially during the Plague.
Source:http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/SocialStudiesResource
s/Social_Studies_Resources/GHG_Documents/Trade; Medieval History Sourcebook, “Accounts of the
Routes of Jewish Merchants to the
East, 847”
In a time of great political chaos, the Roman Catholic Church was the single, largest unifying
structure in medieval Europe. It touched everyone's life, no matter what their rank or class or where
they lived. With the exception of a small number of Jews, everyone in Europe was a Christian
during the Middle Ages from the richest king down to the lowest serf.
From the moment of its baptism a few days after birth, a child entered into a life of service to God
and God's Church. As a child grew, it would be taught basic prayers, would go to church every
week barring illness, and would learn of its responsibilities to the Church. Every person was
required to live by the Church's laws and to pay heavy taxes to support the Church. In return for
this, they were shown the way to everlasting life and happiness after lives that were often short and
hard.
In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also accepted gifts of all kinds from individuals who
wanted special favors or wanted to be certain of a place in heaven. These gifts included land,
flocks, crops, and even serfs. This allowed the Church to become very powerful, and it often used
this power to influence kings to do as it wanted.