Medieval Europe: Vikings, Feudalism, Towns, and Crusades

What impact did Vikings have on Western Europe?

Vikings raided and settled across Europe, disrupting trade and safety, leading to the development of feudalism.

What is feudalism?

A political and social system where land is exchanged for loyalty and military protection.

What was the purpose of manors?

Manors were self-sufficient estates that provided food, protection, and resources for the lord and peasants.

What is the difference between free peasants and serfs?

Free peasants could leave the land and had more rights; serfs were bound to the manor and needed permission for major life changes.

How did the role of women change in the High Middle Ages?

Women gained more economic opportunities in towns but noblewomen still managed estates when men were away.

What is chivalry?

A knight's code of honor focusing on bravery, loyalty, and protecting the weak.

What is the three-field system?

A farming method dividing land into three parts—two planted, one left fallow—leading to more food production.

What advancements led to the rise of towns?

Increased food supply, safer travel, revival of trade, and growth of markets and fairs.

What are guilds?

Guilds set standards for products, controlled training, and protected members' economic interests.

Who were the bourgeois?

Middle-class town people, merchants or skilled workers.

What were universities created for?

Schools created to train clergy (spiritual leader) and scholars in law, medicine, and theology.

Why were cathedrals important to medieval towns?

They served as religious centers, sources of pride, economic hubs, and symbols of a town's wealth.

What is excommunication?

Expelling someone from the Church.

What is simony?

Buying or selling Church positions.

What is an interdict?

Banning sacraments in a region to pressure rulers.

What was the lay investiture controversy?

Conflict over whether kings or popes could appoint bishops.

Describe the architecture of a cathedral.

Gothic cathedrals had pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, stained glass windows, and tall spires.

Which Pope called the Crusades and why?

Pope Urban II, to help the Byzantine Empire and reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control.

What were the long-term causes of the Crusades?

Religious tensions, desire for land and trade routes.

What were the immediate causes of the Crusades?

The Byzantine emperor asked for military help after Seljuk Turk advances.

What reasons did people have for going on crusade?

Religious salvation, adventure, wealth, land, and to escape debts or punishment.

How did the Crusades influence Europe?

They increased trade, spread new ideas and technology, weakened feudalism, strengthened kings, and deepened cultural exchange.

Who is William of Normandy?

He conquered England in 1066, centralized power, and redistributed land to Norman nobles.

Why is the year 1066 important?

It marks the Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest of England.

What is the Bayeux Tapestry?

An embroidered cloth telling the story of the Norman conquest and Battle of Hastings.

What did Henry II of England accomplish?

He strengthened royal courts, introduced common law, and helped unify England under legal reforms.

Why is the Magna Carta important?

It limited the king's power, protected nobles' rights, and became the basis for constitutional government.

What is Parliament?

An English lawmaking body with House of Lords and House of Commons, developed under Edward I.

How did the Holy Roman Empire differ from England and France by 1300?

It remained divided into many semi-independent states with weaker central authority.

What caused the 100 Years' War?

A dispute over who should rule France and English claims to French land.

How did technology change warfare and society?

Longbows and cannons weakened knights and castles, reducing feudal military power.

What is the significance of Joan of Arc?

She inspired the French army to major victories and became a symbol of national unity.

What were the results of the 100 Years' War?

France grew stronger and more unified; England shifted toward Parliament and ended feudal-based armies.

What caused the Black Plague?

Bacteria (Yersinia pestis) spread by fleas on rats.

How did the Black Plague affect Europe?

It caused massive population loss, labor shortages, decline of feudalism, and social/economic upheaval.

Why are Ferdinand and Isabella important?

They united Spain, completed the Reconquista, and funded Columbus.

What was the Inquisition?

A Church court used to find and punish heretics, strengthening royal and Church authority.

What was the conflict between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV about?

It was over whether kings could tax clergy (religious leaders), with Philip weakening papal authority.

What was the Great Western Schism?

A period when multiple popes claimed authority, dividing the Church and weakening its power.

How did Europe turn away from feudalism?

Through the growth of towns, stronger kings, decline of serfdom, rise of trade, and military changes.