The Crusades
What was the main religious goal of the Crusades?
To recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control.
What caused the Hundred Years’ War between England and France?
English kings’ claim to the French throne and control of trade routes.
What 1066 battle gave William of Normandy control of England?
The Battle of Hastings.
Who wrote The Divine Comedy, a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven?
Dante Alighieri.
Japan is an archipelago. What does this mean, and how did geography shape its development?
An archipelago is a group of islands; Japan’s mountains and limited farmland made rice farming central, and isolation encouraged unique cultural development while still borrowing from China and Korea.
Who called for the First Crusade in 1095?
Pope Urban II.
Who was the French peasant girl that inspired the French to victory?
Joan of Arc.
What census created by William helped with taxes?
The Domesday Book
Europe’s first universities were closely connected to which institution, and why was learning on the rise during this period?
hey were connected to the Church; learning grew because of increased trade, more food production, and access to Greek knowledge through contact with the Muslim world.
What is Japan’s native religion, and how did it blend with Buddhism?
Shinto (“way of the gods”); many Japanese combined Shinto beliefs with Buddhist practices introduced from Korea and China.
Which Muslim leader recaptured Jerusalem in 1187?
Saladin
Which new weapons ended the dominance of knights in battle?
The longbow, crossbow, and cannon.
Name one principle established by the Magna Carta that influenced modern government.
Due process of law, habeas corpus, or the idea that the king must obey the law.
Which medieval scholar argued that faith and reason could work together in works like Summa Theologica?
Thomas Aquinas.
Which Heian-era work by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the world’s first novel, and what does it reveal about court life?
The Tale of Genji; it shows the refined culture, literature, and roles of noblewomen in Heian Japan.
Name two effects of the Crusades on Europe.
Increased trade, weakened feudal nobles, reduced papal power, or cultural diffusion.
What happened to the English monarchy as a result of the Hundred Years’ War?
It was weakened, as England lost most of its French lands and faced internal turmoil.
Why did English nobles force King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215?
Because of his heavy taxes, abuses of power, and loss of lands in France.
Why is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales historically significant?
It was written in Middle English, helped shape the language, and reflected medieval social classes and culture.
Samurai lived by the code of Bushido. How did this code shape their behavior and role in society?
Bushido emphasized loyalty, honor, and courage; samurai defended landowners and would commit ritual suicide (seppuku) to preserve honor.
Which Crusade successfully captured Jerusalem, and which one lost it?
The First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099; the Second Crusade failed to recapture it after Saladin took it back in 1187.
What two major changes did the Hundred Years’ War bring to France?
The French monarchy was strengthened, and a stronger sense of nationalism developed.
How did the development of Parliament in England influence later governments?
It established the principle of representative government and limited royal power, influencing democratic traditions in England, the United States, and beyond.
What features of Gothic cathedrals showed both religious devotion and advances in engineering?
Pointed arches, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows allowed taller, lighter structures that symbolized reaching toward God.
During the Kamakura period, who truly held political power in Japan, and what was the emperor’s role?
The shogun controlled the military and government, while the emperor was mostly a figurehead with symbolic authority.