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Knights of the Round Table-

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Marco Polo-
Marco Polo lived from 1254-1324. When Marco Polo was 17 years old he traveled with his father and uncle through the Holy Land, Persia, and Tartary.

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William the Conqueror

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Political Structure

The term Dark Ages is usually used to define Europe after the 5th century fall of the Roman Empire.

Due to the upheaval of the era, historical records are scarce. However, there are several people from this era who have made their mark on the history books. Today we'll be discussing one of the most famous: William the Conqueror. In order to understand his importance, let's take a look at the topsy-turvy political structure of the Dark Ages.

The political structure of the Dark Ages is known as manorialism. Within this system, the wealthy, usually called lords, owned land known as a manor. The peasant class worked on these manors and in turn were given food, shelter, and protection. Since wars were usually waging, outside trading opportunities were very scarce. To provide for themselves, manors were self-sustaining, producing what was needed for survival.

William, Duke of Normandy

This is the Europe in which William the Conqueror came on the scene and made his mark. Born in Normandy, of modern-day France, William became Duke of Normandy at a very early age. As duke, he set his sights on a unified Normandy under his power, and accomplished this great task by about 1060 CE. Now remember, he did this during the Dark Ages, so obviously this guy had some smarts and some military might. With all this going for him, he set his sights beyond Normandy. This leads us to his dealings with England.

When Edward the Confessor, king of England, died in the year 1066, he left no heir to take the throne. However, William of Normandy was a relative of Edward, and you better believe he was more than willing to wear England's crown. Unfortunately for William, there were several other English noblemen who felt they deserved the crown, the most popular and powerful of whom was Harold Godwinson. Making matters worse, the King of Norway - not Normandy but NORWAY - also threw his hat in the running!

Battle of Hastings

When the people of England chose Harold Godwinson as their king, the King of Norway invaded England. Seeing this, William the Conqueror devised a plan that gave history one of its most famous battles - the Battle of Hastings. Realizing the new King Harold of England had his hands full trying to ward off the King of Norway, William crossed the English Channel and made camp near the city of Hastings.

Harold was able to fight off the King of Norway, but tired and worn, he then had to face William. William, on the other hand, was fresh and ready for battle. He had had time to set up archers and a well-oiled cavalry of armed knights. When they finally met, Harold's tired foot soldiers were no match for William's fighting arsenal. Poor King Harold was killed in battle, and William conquered Harold's remaining forces at the Battle of Hastings. He was crowned King of England on December 25th, 1066.

Tapestry and Domesday Book

Perhaps in one of the most famous pieces of art from the era, the Battle of Hastings was captured by William's wife, and her royal ladies, in what has come to be known as the Bayeux Tapestry. In this famous work, they wove dozens of scenes depicting William's victory at the Battle of Hastings. Taking a decade to complete, the artful tapestry became a massive (and by massive I mean approximately 20 inches high and about 230-some feet long) narrative of the famous battle. These women gave all of history an artful record of one of the most famous men and battles of European History.

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william the conqueror & politics and art in the dark ages - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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William the Conqueror & Politics and Art in the Dark Ages - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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The term Dark Ages is usually used to define Europe after the 5th century fall of the Roman Empire. Due to the upheaval of the era, historical records are scarce. However, there are several people from this era who have made their mark on the history books.

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Charlemagne

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Charlemagne - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com

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Find out more about the history of Charlemagne, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com

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Knight's coat of Arms-
The first coat of arms was used to distinguish one knight from another. When a knight had on his full armor, including plate mail and helmet, even his friends couldn't recognize him

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History of the Knights-
The first knights of the Middle Ages fought for Charlemagne  the King of the Franks, in the 700s.

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Becoming A Knight-
The boys who trained to be knights were generally the sons of knights or lords. When a page turned 14, he could become an esquire.

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The King's Court

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Kids learn about the kings and thier court from the Middle Ages and Medieval times including coronations, queens, taxes, laws, and wars.

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Entertainment & Music

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The Middle Ages -- Arts & Entertainment: Medieval Music

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One way we learn about music in the Middle Ages is by examining Medieval art. There are instruments in the borders of many manuscripts of chant. Angels play everything from organs, vielles and harps to trumpets and shawms in the paintings of the period.

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Magna Carta-

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The Hundreds' Year War-
This was a war between France and England that lasted from 1337-1453. The fight was over the French throne.

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Black Death-

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Black Death Exclusive Videos & Features - HISTORY.com

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Check out exclusive Black Death videos and features. Browse the latest Black Death videos and more on HISTORY.com.

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Vikings-

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The Franks-
Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, was the King of Franks during 742- 814.

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Charlemagne Exclusive Videos & Features - HISTORY.com

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Check out exclusive Charlemagne videos and features. Browse the latest Charlemagne videos and more on HISTORY.com.

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Anglo-Saxons-
People who inhabited Great Britain in the 5th century. They were made up of Germanic tribes that migrated to Great Britain from the continental Europe.

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Guilds-

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Daily Life in the Middle Ages-

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Fedual System-
Land was granted to people for service. It started at the top with the King granting land to his most important nobles,  and barons, for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies.

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Who were important people from this age?

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Who were important people from this age?

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Timeline

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