Agriculture and Economy
What animal replaced oxen and allowed farmers to plow about three times as much per day?
Horses
Who asked for help from the West in 1093 against the Turks, prompting a military response?
Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus
What name is given to organizations of people in the same occupation that set standards for quality and training?
Guilds
What term describes town merchants who took control of towns from feudal lords?
Burghers
Which architectural style before 1100 used thick walls, small windows, and round arches?
Romanesque
Name one technological or agricultural improvement from 800–1200 that increased food production
Harnessing horses, improved plows, and the Three Field System
Name at least one of the ulterior motives Pope Urban II had for starting the First Crusade?
He thought he could reunify the Christian church and he wanted to send troublesome knights away from Europe.
Which type of guild formed first and focused on trade and protection of merchants?
The Merchants Guild
How could a serf typically gain freedom in a medieval town?
By living in a town for a year and a day
Name two features characteristic of Gothic cathedral architecture.
Pointed arches and flying buttresses, large stained-glass windows, tall vertical design, and gargoyles/grotesques
Why did the three-field system produce more food than earlier systems?
Because more land was planted each year (two of three fields), increasing crop yields and reducing fallow time.
List at least two motivations people had for joining the Crusades
Religious devotion (reclaim Jerusalem), hope for land or glory, and seeking wealth.
Give two functions guilds performed in medieval towns.
Set standards for quality and prices, supervised training of apprentices, regulated wages and working conditions, and provided security.
Name two common problems found in growing medieval towns.
Crowding and poor sanitation, dirty streets, fire hazards.
What structural element allowed Gothic cathedrals to be so tall and have much larger windows?
Flying Buttresses
Why was it important to allow one field to Fallow in the Three Field System?
Ensured one field kept its nutrients and allowed animals to graze
What promise did the Church make to Crusaders who died in battle?
That they would earn a place in heaven
How did the wealth of guilds influence local government or economy?
Guilds could use their wealth to influence town councils, economic policies, and decisions affecting trade and regulations.
Between 1000 and 1150, Europe’s population rose from about 30 million to what approximate number?
About 42 million people
Compare Romanesque and Gothic styles in one sentence explaining their different visual or structural aims.
Romanesque emphasized solidity and heavy walls with small windows, while Gothic aimed for height and light using pointed arches and flying buttresses to allow large stained-glass windows.
Describe two direct economic effects of increased agricultural productivity in medieval Europe
Population growth and expansion of trade and towns; more surplus for markets and growth of merchant class.
Briefly describe the outcome of the First Crusade by 1099
Crusaders captured Jerusalem and established Crusader states along the eastern Mediterranean coast
Explain how the development of guilds contributed to the growth of a middle class in medieval Europe.
Guilds enabled skilled artisans and merchants to organize, protect incomes, and accumulate wealth, creating stable paid occupations and elevating their social and political influence—forming the basis of a merchant/middle class.
Describe one way urban growth changed social structure during this period.
It created wage labor and merchant wealth that weakened feudal ties and increased the political power of townspeople.
How did the building of large cathedrals reflect the power or role of the Church in medieval society?
It showed the Church’s wealth, its central cultural and spiritual role, and its ability to mobilize resources and labor for monumental projects.