Charlemagne, the King of the Franks

Write about half page of paper about Charlemagne. ("respond your thoughts/ideas about this unit's reading") Examples: - During the Dark Ages of Europe, Charlemagne came into power. He really tried to understand the problems of the poor, and improve their economy. Many different currencies made it difficult for trade to be a prevalent source of income. Charlemagne made silver the main currency, which improved trade, and improved their economic status. I think it's great that a ruler honestly cared for the wellbeing of his people, and wanted to make their living conditions better. - Before Charlemagne came into power, Europe was already into some dark times. When he came into power however, that all changed. He not only helped to encourage the intellectual development of his empire, but he also improved economic stand point of it for the lower class citizens. He was also however a powerful warrior that conquered anyone that opposed him. It fascinates me on how he was able to conquer this much territory in his lifetime, yet after his death, his empire didn't last very long after. -Charles the Great, or "Charlemagne" was king of the Franks (Germanic tribes), who later became the Holy Roman Emperor. He made changes that helped to better structure the economy, and was a strong supporter of education. This is particularly interesting because according to Ducksters.com (A history tool for kids!) he was illiterate, and so desired to enable his people to read and write. His rule was said to be "the most thorough system of governance since the hight of the Roman Empire" (our textbook, pg. 177) because his instruction reached many parts of the continent that even Rome had not communicated with or occupied. He saw his responsibilities as a Christian king just as important (if not more important) as his worldly responsibilities. -Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, played an important role in establishing what we know these days as modern Europe. After the Fall of Rome, the Western part of Roman Empire was in chaos. Charlemagne became the first Holy Roman Emperor, who united the different parts of Europe and created a Christian country in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. During his time period he established a good relationship with the Pope that would be beneficial for both sides. Both sides were dependent on each other—Charlemagne provided military protection to the Pope, while the Pope showed respect and approval to him in return. Furthermore, Charlemagne was interested in educating the priest class and establishing schools throughout the Empire. This era is also called as the Carolingian Renaissance, a time period where there was an increase in writing, literature, and language. Charlemagne recognized the importance of education of the priests so they could pass on their knowledge and taught the Empire’s population the correct information. During this time, the monastery became extremely efficient in writing and recording books. Charlemagne indeed was such an important figure in European history that historians called him the “Father of Europe.” The book states that Charlemagne viewed himself as the leader of a Christian society. I’m curious to learn if there were other Christian societies in Europe besides the region Charlemagne ruled. For example, did people in England practice Christianity at all? link ofr help:http://www(dot)ctevans(dot)net/Nvcc/HIS111/Notes/Charlemagne.html