REQUIRED!!! READ THIS FIRST!!! Here's a brief summary of the key points about what the Dark Ages were, and what you should know BEFORE you start watching the video, so that it will make more sense to you. You'll be so glad you read it!
The Middle Ages, also known as Medieval Times, also known as the Dark Ages, was a period from roughly the 5th century (400s) to the 15th century (1400s). It is mainly used to describe the world of Western Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Since the Empire collapsed, Western Europe was no longer ruled by one government, so it broke apart into small kingdoms ruled by different tribes that often fought each other and tried to take each other's land. Many of these tribes were Germanic groups that had previously fought the Romans. Since there was no political unity, the Christian Church became a very important because it was the only thing that almost all Western Europeans had in common. During the height of the Roman Empire, there was lots of long-distance trade and a strong economy, but when that all shut down with the fall of Rome, trade was very minimal and local. Most people during the Middle Ages worked as peasant farmers for local landowners.
