Chapter 11: The Later Middle Ages—Crisis and Disintegration in the Fourteenth Century

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, events, and concepts from the fourteenth-century notes.

Black Death

Mid-14th-century bubonic plague that devastated Europe, spread by fleas on rats, causing massive mortality and social/economic upheaval.

Bubonic plague

Most common form of the Black Death in Europe, characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes, and dark skin blotches.

Pneumonic plague

A more contagious form of plague that spread directly between people through respiratory droplets.

Yersinia pestis

Bacterium responsible for the plague (Black Death).

Great Famine of 1315–1317

Widespread famines in northern Europe due to bad weather and harvest failures just before the Black Death.

Little Ice Age

Period of cooler climate (late 13th–14th centuries) that shortened growing seasons and contributed to famines.

Feudal system

Medieval political and social structure where peasants worked lands for lords in exchange for protection and rights.

Manor system

Economic and social system of estate management centered on lord’s estates and peasant labor.

Hundred Years’ War

Long conflict (c.1337–1453) between England and France over dynastic claims and territory, reshaping medieval politics and military.

Gascony

English-held duchy in southwestern France that was a major flashpoint and cause of the Hundred Years’ War.

Longbow

English powerful bow that enabled devastating volleys; pivotal in early English victories at Crecy and Poitiers.

Cannon

New artillery technology that helped end fortress-era warfare and castle dominance in Europe.

Gunpowder

Explosive discovered in China and adopted in Europe, enabling cannons and changing warfare.

Avignon Papacy

Period (1305–1377) when the papacy resided in Avignon, France, weakening papal prestige.

Boniface VIII

Pope (1294–1303) who asserted papal supremacy in Unam Sanctam, provoking conflict with Philip IV of France.

Unam Sanctam

Papal bull (1302) declaring papal supremacy over secular rulers.

Great Schism

Crisis (1378–1417) with rival popes in Rome and Avignon, later resolved by Council of Constance.

Council of Pisa

Council (1409) attempted to end the schism by deposing two rival popes and electing a third, worsening the crisis.

Council of Constance

Ecumenical council (1414–1418) that ended the Great Schism and elected Martin V as pope.

Martin V

Pope (1417–1431) elected at Constance, ending the Great Schism.

Conciliarism

Movement arguing that a general church council could rule the church and resolve issues like schism.

Jacquerie (1358)

Mass peasant uprising in northern France against noble landlords during the late Middle Ages.

Ciompi revolt (1378)

Wool-workers’ revolt in Florence, challenging guilds and city governance.

Statute of Labourers (1351)

English law attempting to freeze wages and restrict peasant mobility after the plague.

Parliament (England)

English representative body that gained power and established a system with Lords and Commons.

Estates-General

French representative assembly (clergy, nobility, Third Estate) that struggled for real political influence.

Golden Bull (1356)

Constitution establishing an electoral process for the Holy Roman Emperor.

Electors

Princes/archbishops authorized to elect the Holy Roman Emperor under the Golden Bull.

Mercenaries (condottieri)

Professional soldiers (often foreign) hired by Italian city-states; often destabilizing, costly, and powerful.

Joan of Arc

French peasant girl who led French forces to victory at Orléans (1429) and helped crown Charles VII; later burned as a heretic.

Orléans (1429)

Key turning point where Joan of Arc lifted the siege and boosted French morale.

Battle of Crecy (1346)

English victory in the early phase of the Hundred Years’ War, notable for effective use of longbow and dismounted knights.

Battle of Poitiers (1356)

English victory where King John II of France was captured; led to the Treaty of Brétigny.

Battle of Agincourt (1415)

Crushing English victory aided by terrain and the longbow, a turning point in the later war.

Treaty of Brétigny (1359)

Temporary treaty granting English gains in France and overlooking Edward III’s claims; later breached.

Treaty of Troyes (1420)

England recognized as heir to the French throne; effectively disinherited the French Dauphin.

Calais

English-held port in northern France, last major English possession in France after 1453.

Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio

Three major vernacular writers who helped develop Italian literature and inspired Renaissance culture.

Geoffrey Chaucer

English writer who elevated the English vernacular; Cantorbury Tales depicted diverse medieval society.

Giotto

Pioneer of Italian realism in painting; emphasized three-dimensional form and human emotion, foreshadowing Renaissance style.

ars moriendi

Art of dying; medieval Gothic art theme reflecting the era’s preoccupation with death.

Christine de Pizan

French writer who defended women; argued for female education and dignity in The Book of the City of Ladies.

Joan of Arc’s legacy

Symbol of French nationalism and faith; highlighted new reliance on national unity and modern warfare techniques.

Public health during the plague

Cities established boards of health, sanitation rules, and foundling hospitals in response to the plague.

vernacular literature

Literature written in local languages (e.g., Italian, English) rather than Latin, popularized by Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and Chaucer.