Middle Ages

When did the Middle Ages begin?

476 CE, when Rome fell.

When did the Middle Ages end?

Around the 14th century, when the Renaissance began.

Why did Renaissance thinkers call it the Dark Age?

They believed there was less progress than in ancient Greece and Rome.

How do modern scholars view the Middle Ages?

As a complex and culturally important period.

What was the most powerful institution in Europe after Rome fell?

The Catholic Church.

What was a tithe?

A payment of 10% of earnings to the Church.

What happened after Muhammad died in 632 CE?

Muslim armies expanded their territory under caliphs.

Name two centers of Islamic intellectual and cultural life.

Cairo and Baghdad.

Name two inventions from the Islamic world mentioned in the worksheet answers.

The pinhole camera and windmills.

When did the Crusades begin?

1095 CE.

What did the Crusaders seek to capture?

Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

What happened at Acre in 1291?

Acre fell, ending the last major Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land.

When were the Knights Templar dissolved?

1312 CE.

What was Romanesque architecture like?

Rounded arches and thick stone walls.

What was Gothic architecture like?

Pointed arches and large stained-glass windows.

What were illuminated manuscripts?

Handwritten books decorated with colorful illustrations and gold or silver lettering.

Who were troubadours?

Performers who shared stories and songs.

When did the Black Death reach Europe?

1347 CE; it spread widely from 1347 to 1350.

Name two symptoms of the plague.

Fever and chills.

What bacterium causes plague?

Yersinia pestis.

What was feudalism?

A system based on land, loyalty, labor, and protection.

What was a fief?

Land granted by a ruler or lord.

Who were serfs?

Workers who farmed land controlled by landowners.

Name two farming innovations from the worksheet.

The heavy plow and three-field crop rotation.

How did better farming affect society?

It increased food production and helped the population grow.

How did trade and towns help lead to the Renaissance?

They encouraged economic growth and the exchange of goods and ideas.

What happened in 476 CE?

The fall of Rome.

What happened in 632 CE?

Muhammad died.

What happened in 800 CE?

Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans.

What happened in 1099 CE?

Christian armies captured Jerusalem.

What happened in 1291 CE?

Acre fell.

What happened from 1347 to 1350 CE?

The Black Death spread through Europe.

What does medieval mean?

Relating to the Middle Ages.

What is a caliph?

A Muslim ruler or leader.

What are manuscripts?

Handwritten books or documents.