The Middle Ages and Feudalism
What was the system of government that organized people into levels of loyalty and service during the Middle Ages?
Feudalism
Who had the power to crown kings during the Middle Ages?
The Pope
What does the word “Renaissance” mean?
Rebirth
Who started the Protestant Reformation in 1517?
Martin Luther
What is an “absolute monarch”?
A king or queen who has total power over their country
What did scientists begin to rely on instead of the Church for understanding the world?
Observation, experimentation, and reason
Who was at the top of the feudal hierarchy?
The Monarch (A King Or Queen)
Why could only clergy (priests) read the Bible?
It was written in Latin, which most common people couldn’t read.
In what country did the Renaissance begin?
Italy
What was Martin Luther protesting when he wrote his 95 Theses?
The selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church
What belief gave monarchs the idea that their power came directly from God?
Divine Right
What was the new method used to test scientific ideas?
The scientific method
What group of people worked the land in exchange for protection, but could not leave it?
Peasants or serfs
What was the Church’s role in education during the Middle Ages?
It controlled education and was the main source of knowledge.
What was one reason the Renaissance began in Italy?
Wealth from trade with the Ottoman Empire after the Crusades.
What did Luther do to make the Bible more accessible to people?
He translated it into local languages
Name one famous absolute monarch of Europe.
Louis XIV of France or Peter the Great of Russia
Who was the scientist punished by the Church for supporting the heliocentric theory?
Galileo Galilei
Why was the Catholic Church powerful during the Middle Ages?
It was the main source of knowledge and crowned monarchs, giving it political and religious power.
How did the Church influence people’s daily lives?
It told people how to live morally and spiritually and could excommunicate those who disobeyed.
What family in Florence became famous patrons of art during the Renaissance?
The Medici family
Why did many monarchs support the Protestant Reformation?
It freed them from the Pope’s control and increased their own power.
How did exploration and trade help absolute monarchs gain more power?
It brought wealth that allowed them to build armies and expand their empires.
What did Isaac Newton discover?
The laws of motion and gravity
How did feudalism provide order after the fall of Rome?
How did feudalism provide order after the fall of Rome?
Why did some people begin to question the Church’s authority by the 1500s?
Because corruption, such as selling indulgences, and limited access to knowledge caused people to doubt its power.
How did merchants change European society during the Renaissance?
They replaced nobles as the new wealthy class, using money from trade instead of land ownership.
What was one major long-term effect of the Reformation on Europe?
It weakened the Catholic Church’s authority and led to religious wars and new Christian denominations.
Why did many people accept absolute monarchs’ rule without question?
They believed the monarch represented God on Earth and that disobedience was a sin.
How did the Scientific Revolution challenge traditional authority?
It encouraged people to question the Church and monarchs, leading to a more modern and independent way of thinking.