Adapted from a longer slide show, this one focuses on the rise of Charlemagne and his part in extending Catholicism into Europe

1. 500-1200

3. Your family can decide to leave
Alstonville if they wish.
A family living in the countryside in
Medieval Europe did not have that
ability

4. Charlemagne

5.  Many Germanic
kingdoms that took
control after the
Roman Empire were
reunited under
Charlemagne’s
empire.

6. The Pope

7. Germanic troops overrun the Western Roman Empire
by the 5th
Century. Results include:
• Disruption of trade
• Downfall of cities
• Population shifts
• Decline of learning
• Loss of common or written language

8. Holy Roman
Emperor

9.  Gaul is a former Roman
Province located in
modern–day France.
 Clovis becomes a
Christian after asking
God to help him while
fighting another
Germanic tribe.
 Clovis is believed to be
the first Germanic
leader to embrace
Christianity.
Coin depicting Clovis “King of France”

10.  Clovis gets support
from the Christian
Church which allows
him to defeat the
other Germanic
Armies.
 This alliance marked
the beginning of a
powerful partnership. Statue of the baptism of Clovis

11.  the Church grew in
Europe by establishing
religious communities
called monasteries.
 Monks gave up their
lives to become
servants of god.
 Monks and monasteries
helped spread Catholic
Christianity
 Benedict, an Italian
Monk set down a list of
strict, yet practical rules
for Monks.

12.  Gregory The Great
became Pope in 590.
 Gregory expanded the
Church’s influence
beyond religion into
politics.
 This is the first time the
church is involved in
secular (non-religious)
activities.
 Pope Gregory raised
armies, repaired roads
and helped the poor
and negotiated peace
treaties.

13.  Gregory felt that the region from Italy to England and from
Spain to Western Germany fell under his responsibility.
 The idea of a church influenced kingdom is a central theme
of the Middle Ages.
Modern map of the territory Gregory held influence over

14.  Charlemagne is the first
great ruler after the fall
of the Roman Empire.
 Charlemagne used his
conquests to spread
Christianity.
 In 800, Charlemagne
traveled to Rome to
protect Pope Leo III. In
return, the pope
crowned him Emperor
Charlemagne united the Germanic
Empires, the Church and the heritage of
the Roman Empire

15.  Charlemagne sent royal
agents to make sure
that landowners (called
counts) governed justly
 Charlemagne regularly
visited every part of his
kingdom.
 He judged cases,
settled disputes and
rewarded faithful
followers

16.  Charlemagne makes his son, Louis the
Pious emperor.
 Louis’ three sons, Lothair, Charles the
Bald and Louis the German fight each
other for the empire.

17. TheTreaty of
Verdun divides the
Empire into three
weaker empires.
As central authority
breaks down, the
lack of strong rulers
leads to a new
system of
governing and
landholding.

18.  After the treaty of Verdun, Charlemagne’s three
feuding grandsons broke the kingdom up even
further.
 Part of this territory also became a battleground as
new waves of invaders attacked Europe.
 The political turmoil and constant warfare led to the
rise of feudalism- a military and political system
based on land ownership and personal loyalty.
Charlemagne’s Empire starts to fall apart