Name: ______Date: ______Pd: ______

AP World History

Freemanpedia Activity – Post-Classical Period and Medieval Europe

Work through this packet as you explore the Freemanpedia site on Medieval Europe. You do NOT need to answer the questions in order. Sometimes the wifi gets blocked up if everyone is trying to watch the same video link at the same time. Feel free to hop around throughout the packet. There is a link on my webpage, or you may access the site directly at:

www.freeman-pedia.com/feudaleurope

1. The term “Medieval Europe” refers to what specific time frame?

2. If Western Europe wasn’t very important in world affairs at that time, why is it important to study?

3. Look at the map of Medieval Europe. In what region of the continent was the Hanseatic League a dominant force in trade and business?

4. Looking at the same map, what do you notice about political unity in Italy at this time?

5. According to the time lapse map, in what year did the Black Death reach Marseilles in southern France?

6. In what year did the plague reach Moscow?

7. For each term below, write a short description (note that not all terms from the site are listed here):

a. Charlemagne

b.  Feudalism

c.  Knights

d.  Serfs

e.  Chivalry

f.  Black Death

g.  Hanseatic League

Videos: Please note that you will not watch EVERY video clip. Be sure to watch the correct ones!

8. Battle of Hastings video:

a.  In what year did the Battle of Hastings take place?

b. The Norman invaders used a formation of three lines. These lines were made up of (first)

______, then ______,

then ______.

c.  How were the Normans able to finally break the solid wall of English soldiers?

d.  What was the role of religious men during battle (such as William’s brother the bishop)?

e.  What happened to Harold, the king of England, during the Battle of Hastings?

f.  How did the outcome of the Battle of Hastings change the future of England?

9. Henry V video:

a.  First read the caption below the video. Henry V is a wonderful, funny, historical play by Shakespeare. What two modern films refer back to the rousing speech made by King Henry?

b.  Summarize the points King Henry V makes in his speech to the men. You may need to watch the video twice, as they are speaking in Shakespearian English.

c.  How does the king respond when an envoy is sent to request his surrender?

10. The Black Plague video:

a.  Name at least three factors the video points to when saying that at the beginning of the 14th century, Europe has had several centuries of prosperity?

b.  Edward III of England invades France in the 1340’s, thus beginning what war, which at the time was considered to be a “World War”?

c.  Meanwhile, what is happening on the steppes of Central Asia that will soon wreak havoc in Europe?

d.  When the plague takes hold in the city of Venice, how many Venetians were dying each day?

e.  What percentage of the population of Paris dies in the plague?

f.  Why did some Catholic priests deny the sacrament of Last Rights to the sick?

g.  In what ways did the Black Death undermine religious belief in Western Europe?

h.  What happened in 1349, in Strasburg, Germany, in response to the plague? Why?

i.  Why was there a lesser death rate among the nobility than there was in the lower classes?

11. Charlemagne video:

a.  On what date was Charlemagne crowned Emperor?

b.  List some ways the video says Charlemagne “gave light to the dark ages.”

c.  What characteristics are lacking in Charlemagne’s Holy Roman Empire, making it still nowhere near as great as the classical Roman Empire?

d.  How did Charlemagne encourage conversion to Christianity in lands he conquered?

e.  What happened at the “Bloody Verdict of Verdun?”

f.  In what ways did Charlemagne encourage intellectual thought and education?

g.  In the 14 years after Charlemagne was crowned emperor, he had to contend with which group of invaders?

12. Middle Ages in 3.5 Minutes video:

You do not need to answer any questions for this clip. But watch it. It has a great overview and

timeline of the Middle Ages boiled down to key points you should know and understand.

13. Magna Carta video:

a.  Who was the king of England in the early 1200s?

b.  Why are the barons (nobles) angry with the king?

c.  Why does the Archbishop of Canterbury take the side of the barons?

d.  What happened on June 15, 1215, in Runnymeade?

e.  What were some of the “rules” of the Magna Carta that are familiar in our own justice system today?

f. Why was the Magna Carta a revolutionary document?