Medieval Times Study Guide

Geography

  1. What is the dominant geographic feature in Southern Europe?
  2. How did peninsulas impact peoples’ lives?
  3. What was Northern Europe invaded more than Southern?
  4. How did geography impact the development of Northern & Southern Europe?

Europe after the Fall of Rome

  1. Who was St. Patrick? What did he do?
  2. How did monks contribute to society?
  3. Who was Charlemagne & how did his empire compare to the Roman empire?
  4. What did Vikings do?

Feudalism

  1. What did lords give their knights?
  2. What were the Japanese & European codes of behavior based upon?
  3. How did feudalism get to England?
  4. How was Eleanor of Aquitaine a unique woman?
  5. Why had cities grown by 1000?
  6. Throughout the middle ages, power shifted from nobles to ______& ______.
  7. Describe the lifestyle of . . . (choose 1 – monarch, lord, knight, peasant, serf)

Popes & Kings

  1. What did Popes do?
  2. How did emperors of the Holy Roman Empire get their power?
  3. What caused the split in the Christian Church in the 1000’s?
  4. What did Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV disagree about?

Crusades

  1. Why were the crusades fought? Against whom?
  2. What were some results of the crusades?
  3. Why did the crusades fail?

Christianity & Medieval Soc.

  1. What activities took place at local churches?
  2. What is a pilgrim?
  3. How were Benedictine monks supposed to live?
  4. What did St. Thomas Aquinas argue?
  5. How were Gothic cathedrals symbols of Christian faith?
  6. How are friars different from monks?

Political & Social Change

  1. Why was King John forced to sign the Magna Carta?
  2. What is habeas corpus?
  3. How did English protect their rights?
  4. What started the 100 year War? Who helped the French win?
  5. What were the political results of the 100 Year War?
  6. How did the Black Death impact Europe? What was the path of its spread?

Challenges to Church Authority

  1. What was the purpose of the Spanish Inquisition?
  2. How were Jews discriminated against?

Castles & Cathedrals

  1. What architectural features helped to protect a castle?
  2. What are some important architectural features of a cathedral?

ESSAY: How did the Christian Church influence medieval society? (3 paragraphs. 1st is intro (3-5 sentences). Other two contain topic sentence, 3 main ideas with support, concluding sentence). Choose one topic for each paragraph (Political, crusades, Social/Cultural,)