Download Unit 8- The Middle Ages Study Guide

Unit 8- The Middle Ages Study Guide
Vocabulary: Be able to define the following:
Nobility: A high-ranking social class
Merchant: A craftsman or a buyer or seller of goods for profit
Magna Carta: The historic democratic document that limited the King's power and
expanded representative government
Justinian code: a code of laws created to simplify the Roman legal system
Knight: A feudal warrior trained to fight on horseback
Plague: An aggressive epidemic that killed about 1/4 of Europe's population in
about 5 years
Crusades: Major military expeditions by Christians to win back control of the Holy
Land (Palestine) and protect the Byzantine Empire
Cathedral: a large important Christian church
Feudalism: A political system based on reciprocal obligations
Castle- A large fortified building or set of buildings
Guild- A group of craftsmen or merchants, unified by a common interest
Chivalry- A knight’s code of behavior
Coat of arms- Worn by Medieval knights to show their accomplishments and
birthright
Peasant- A serf, or person who lived on or farmed feudal land
Lord- A knight or head of a manor, who is a feudal warrior trained and prepared
to fight on horseback
Review your notes and organizers (multiple choice)
How was the Byzantine Empire related to the Roman Empire? It was a
continuation of the Roman Empire
Why was Constantinople the capital city of the Byzantine Empire? It was located
on a peninsula that was easy to defend and in the center of the trade routes
Why were relics and treasures taken back to the West? Relics and treasures were
taken back because the Byzantine Empire was overrun and eventually conquered
by the Ottomans.
What did the Byzantine Empire keep and preserve? It kept the Roman laws and
culture and preserved Greek culture.
What was the Magna Carta? It was a document that contained 63 clauses, limited
the power of the king, and eventually led to the Parliamentary government in
England.
What did people give in return for land and protection under the Feudal system?
loyalty and service
What were the effects of the Feudal system? It protected people from invaders,
centralized military power, and governed how people lived and worked
What was life like for peasants under the Feudal system? They did most of the
actual work, they had to pay taxes or fees for services, and they were allowed to
farm small parcels of land. They worked from sun rise to sun set, biggest hope
was that heaven was better than life on Earth
What was the greatest contribution of the Roman Catholic Church during the
Middle Ages? 1,000 years of stability
What were monasteries? religious places where monks copied the Bible in Latin,
fed the poor, and took care of the sick
What were the causes and results of the crusades? causes: The Holy Land was
captured by the Muslims, the Pope wanted to stop the Knights from fighting each
other, and people wanted to be safe on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
results: They increased interaction between Europe and the Middle East,
European trade spread to China and India, and the interaction brought new ideas
in Math and Science.
Fill-in the blank
Complete the 5 levels of the feudalism hierarchical structure
King- monarchy
Nobles-dukes, barons, counts, lords
Knights
Vassal- stewards (includes professionals and merchants)
Peasant/serf
Know the code similar to the Justinian code and why? The Code of Hammurabi;
because it was to protect the people
The two forces that controlled people's lives during the Middle Ages. The Catholic
Church and Feudalism
Where the Bubonic plague originated and spread. originated in central Asia,
spread to China, the Middle East, and finally to Europe
Short Answers. You need to remember to use 4-5 quality sentences for each
answer.
1. Why is the Magna Carta considered to be one of the most important
democratic documents? 1. set precedent for limiting government, 2. expanded
representative government that led to Parliament and our representative
government (U.S. Congress), 3. increased individual rights, due process, trial by
jury
2. Explain what Feudalism was and how it affected different classes of people. Be
sure to give at least one positive and one negative idea about Feudalism. A
political, economic, and social system based on reciprocal obligations and
allegiances positive: lower class people were given land and military protection
for loyalty and service, their lives were predictable and somewhat stable;
negative: upper class led rich, powerful, extravagant lives, lower class was
illiterate, had to pay taxes or fees to the lord of the manor, bound to the land and
were sold with the land when it exchanged hands
3. Explain how the Bubonic plague changed life during the Middle Ages. Be sure
to include how it affected the people and the economy.
 widespread and deadly disease- killed people no matter their class or social
standing,
 1347-1352 killed 25% to 33% of population of Europe (¼ to ⅓),
 Economic Impact—
 fewer peasants made them more valuable (labor shortage)
 higher standard of living
 more independent
 end of Feudalism
 businesses went bankrupt,
 trade declined and towns disappeared,
 food supply decreased and people starved
4. Explain how the crusades changed life during and after the Middle Ages.
1. 1st crusade did gain control of Holy Land for a while
2. neutralized/stopped Muslim advances into mainland Europe
3. interaction between Europe and Middle East brought new ideas and products
to Europe (math and science)
4. expanded trade and European economy
5. built an interest in overseas land and trade
6. developed nature of exploration- this would propel Europe into the Western
Hemisphere