Anti-Semitism
hatred, hostility, and discrimination against Jews
Assimilate
to merge into another culture
Capital
money used to start a business.
Cathedral
the principal church of a district administered by a bishop
Chronicle
A factual account or record
Clergy
religious leaders appointed by the church to perform ceremonies to explain church teachings.
Commerce
the buying and selling of goods on a large scale.
Crusade
a Christian military expedition to invade and conquer Palestine.
Doctrine
official beliefs.
Duchy
territory ruled by a duke or duchess.
Excommunication
expulsion from the Christian Church.
Famine
an extreme shortage of food in a country or large geographic area.
Feudalism
a system in which serfs worked the land and vassals performed military service for their lords in return for protection.
Guild
an association of artisans and merchants formed to set quality standards, establish prices, and help business flourish.
Heretic
church members who held religious views different from official doctrine.
Holy War
warfare in defense of a religious faith
Inquisition
a judicial procedure that evolved into a special court for hearing religious cases.
Knight
horse-riding warriors skilled with weaponry.
Laity
members of the church who were not clergy.
Manorialism
a system that organizes the land of large landowners and the peasants who worked it.
Monastery
Christian communities of men living under religious vows.
Parliament
a transfer of power from the king to a lawmaking body.
Pogrom
organized massacres.
Secular
nonreligious
Serf
agricultural worker who is bound to the land of their lord.
Tithe
10 percent of their income.
Vassal
a knight who gave military service and pledged loyalty to the lord in exchange for land.
Vernacular
the language spoken by ordinary people.