Download Ch17 and 20 Packet

AP WORLD HISTORY
Chapter 17 and Chapter 20 Study Guide
ASSIGNMENT 1: Chapter Overview
Directions: In the space provided, add notes on the major points from the reading that support the claim made in each
statement. This study guide will go into your binder and will be used as a quick reference when studying for the AP Exam.
OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 17: While other parts of the world were experiencing unprecedented prosperity during the postclassical era,
Europe's economy underwent a sharp constriction with the fall of the Roman Empire. Long-distance trade did not entirely
disappear, significant developments took place in agricultural production, and there were brief periods of government
consolidation; nevertheless, early medieval Europe was a world dominated by rural self-sufficiency and political
decentralization. In spite of its seeming "backwardness" compared to the other great empires of the postclassical world,
Europe was laying the foundation for the development of the powerful society that would emerge during the high middle
ages. That foundation rested on

Hard-won political order, restored out of disruption caused by the fall of the Roman Empire, centuries of destructive
invasions, and dramatic depopulation. This order was based on a highly decentralized but flexible system that vested
political, military, and judicial authority in local and regional rulers.

A long, slow process of economic recovery based first on increased agricultural production within the rural
manorial system to be followed by gradually increasing trade, industry, and commerce and the eventual
reurbanization of Europe.

The cultural unity provided by the Christian church based in Rome. During this period Roman Christianity provided
the impetus for cultural continuity and unity in Western Europe. The office of the papacy and the monastic
movement were two powerful institutions that helped to preserve Roman traditions and develop and consolidate a
uniquely European culture.
CHAPTER 20: Europeans, during the High Middle Ages, built a vibrant and prosperous society. Rising from the
foundations laid during the Early Middle Ages—lord-retainer relationships, agricultural innovation, and the Roman
Catholic Church—Europe emerged from its long period of relative political instability and economic and intellectual
stagnation. The hallmarks of high medieval European culture included

The consolidation and expansion of regional states. These powerful states sometimes were organized by local rulers
and based on lord-retainer relationships, as in France. Other times they were direct conquests, as with the Norman
invasion of England. At other times, they were supported or encouraged by the Roman church, like the Holy Roman
Empire.

Economic revitalization. With renewed agricultural surplus, the population expanded and Europe began to
reurbanize. Cities grew, and with them grew business, industry, trade, and educational institutions. Long-distance
trade networks reappeared, especially in the Mediterranean and Baltic and North Sea regions.

Continued presence of the Roman Catholic Christianity in virtually all aspects of high medieval life. Through both
traditional church institutions and the mass appeal of popular religious practices, the church prospered during this
period. The Roman church's influence was felt in education, philosophy, literature, conquest, and travel.
In the High Middle Ages Europe began to interact with increasing regularity with the other regions of the eastern hemisphere.
Its days of relative isolation were over.
ASSIGNMENT 2: Discussion Questions
Directions: Prepare for class discussion by creating notes on the following questions. This can be done on this sheet or in
Cornell format.
1. Who were the Vikings? What were the motivations behind their behavior? What were their accomplishments? How
did they disrupt European society?
2. What role did the serfs play in early medieval Europe? What was life like on the manor?
3. Although trade constricted in the early middle ages, where and how was it still going on?
4. What was the role of the pope in the early middle ages? How did his role evolve over this period of time?
5. What was the significance of the monasteries to the European society and economy?
6. What was the Holy Roman Empire? What did each one of those words (holy, Roman, and empire) mean to
Europeans in this period? How was the Holy Roman Empire none of those?
7. What were the significant innovations in agriculture in Europe during this period? How did each one lead to
increased yield?
8. Where were the centers of the trade networks for Europe? Why there?
9. What is scholasticism and what broader intellectual movements did it reflect? How did it contrast with popular
religion? ?
10. Where and how did Europe expand during the High Middle Ages?
ASSIGNMENT 3: Short Answer Essays
Directions: Answer ONE of the following questions to the best of your ability in a short essay. Make sure to underline the
thesis statement. For the other two, create a short outline of how you WOULD answer the question.
1. The economy of Europe underwent sharp constriction after the fall of the Roman empire. What was the nature of
that constriction? Where and how was the economy still functioning? What were the impediments to economic
development?
2. Consider the northern Italian city-states that emerged during this period. How did they become so successful and
prosperous? What roles did they play in the economy, politics, and religion of Europe?
3. What changes and continuities did Christianity experience between 600 and 1450?
ASSIGNMENT 4: Key Concepts and Terms
Directions: Create note cards for the following topics. Be sure to include the PERIOD, the AP THEME it relates to and the
PAGE Numbers. Then, explain their contribution to world history. In other words, why is this important in the scope of
the history of the world?
Benedictine Rule
Byzantine Empire
Caesaropapism
Carolingian family
Charlemagne
Clovis
Crusades
Feudalism
Franks
Guilds
Hagia Sophia
Hanseatic League
Holy Roman Empire
Hundred Years War
Justinian, Justinian Code
Limited government, Parliament
Magna Carta
Missi dominici
Pogroms
Renaissance
Saladin
Sassanid Empire
Scholasticism
Serfs
Theodora
Vikings
Vladimir I
Thomas Aquinas