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Clovis
Leader of a Frankish kingdom that used military force and other means to combine several kingdoms.
Mayor of the palace
The leading palace official under a Frankish king.
Charlemagne
Became the sole ruler of the Frankish kingdom.
Manor
An estate on which most people lived under feudalism.
Pope
Term that literally means 'papa' and gradually became a title of the bishop of Rome.
Papal
That which is related to the pope, as in 'papal authority'.
Innocent III
Increased papal power to its highest point.
Medieval Warm Period
The warming of the climate in Europe in the beginning of the eleventh century.
Town charter
A legal document issued by the king that listed privileges of the town's inhabitants and freed them from most feudal duties.
William the Conqueror
Laid the foundation for a strong monarchy through his conquest of England.
Henry II
Strengthened English royal authority by expanding the use of royal courts; developed circuit courts.
Circuit courts
Developed by Henry II; judges heard cases in a particular province (circuit) of England.
Hugh Capet
The count of Paris who founded a new royal line in France.
Philip II
Developed a strong monarchy in France and improved the effectiveness of the royal government by sending out royal officials.
Baillis
Royal officials who collected taxes for the king and ensured justice in carrying out laws.
Jury
Legal process developed in the Middle Ages whereby a group of local citizens made lists of accusations before a circuit judge arrived to hear them.
Indictments
A list of accusations.
Common law
Uniform laws for all of England.
Magna Carta
Document limiting royal power that English nobles forced King John to sign.
Parliament
Began as a group of advisors for the king and became a formal legislative body composed of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Power of the purse
Parliament's power to grant or withhold approval of new taxes.
Interdict
A papal declaration by which people are denied access to most of the sacraments.
Crusades
A series of military expeditions originally intended to liberate the Holy Land and defeated infidels.
Middle class
A group in feudal society composed of those who lived in towns.
Bank
Term derived from 'banca' ('bench'), which was a meeting place for transacting financial business and from which a banking system developed.
Letter of credit
Enabled people to travel without carrying large sums of money.
Reconquista
Roman Catholic seizure of Spain and Portugal from the Muslims.
Chivalry
A code or strict set of rules for a knight.
Peace of God
A church decree making church property off limits during fighting among knights.
Truce of God
A church decree restricting fighting among knights to certain days of the week.
Liberal arts
Studies taught in medieval universities for the nobility.
Cathedrals
Large and impressive churches.
Romanesque
An architectural style of the early Middle Ages that used elements of Roman styles of architecture.
Gothic
New style of architecture developed during the thirteenth century.
Flying buttresses
External support of a Gothic cathedral.
Vernacular
National language, such as French or German.
Dante Alighieri
Italian who wrote the Divine Comedy.
Chaucer, Geoffrey
English poet who wrote The Canterbury Tales.
Great Famine of 1315
Calamity that struck a large area of Europe caused by much rain, rotting crops, and a lack of salt to preserve meat.
Hundred Years' War
Series of battles to settle the issue of English control of land in France.
Edward III
English king who also claimed the right to the French throne.
Joan of Arc
Peasant girl who rallied the French during the Hundred Years' War.
