Early Kingdoms & Feudal Life
(Part 1) Which Frankish king united his people under one kingdom and converted to Christianity in 496 CE?
(Part 2) Which 843 CE treaty split Charlemagne's massive empire among his three grandsons?
Part 1: Clovis
Part 2: Treaty of Verdun
Why did regular medieval people believe it was so important to receive holy sacraments from Church priests?
They believed participating in sacraments was required to get into heaven (salvation).
(Part 1) What spiritual reward did Pope Urban II promise to anyone who fought in the Crusades?
(Part 2) Why were younger sons of nobles so eager to join?
Part 1: Automatic forgiveness of sins and direct entry into heaven (salvation)
Part 2: Inheritance laws gave land only to the oldest son, so younger brothers went to find their own wealth and land.
What main argument started the 116-year war between England and France in 1337?
The English king claimed he was the rightful heir to the French throne and wanted control over key trade lands.
(Part 1) What weather shift caused crop failures during the Great Famine of 1315?
(Part 2) How did the plague bacteria (Yersinia pestis) travel into Europe in 1347?
Part 1: The Little Ice Age (cold temperatures and heavy rains)
Part 2: Genoese ships carried infected rats, whose fleas bit humans and passed the bacteria.
In the feudal contract, what was a grant of land called, and what two promises did a vassal give to the lord in return?
The land was called a fief, and the vassal promised loyalty and military service.
(Part 1) What was the corrupt practice of selling Church jobs or sacred relics for money? (Part 2) Why did the Black Death make many Europeans lose faith in Church leaders?
Part 1: Simony
Part 2: Endless prayers failed to stop the plague, and some scared priests ran away from their churches.
(Part 1) Which Muslim general won back the city of Jerusalem in 1187?
(Part 2) What agreement did he reach with King Richard the Lionheart?
(Part 1) Why was the English longbow so effective against traditional medieval knights?
(Part 2) What 1346 battle proved longbowmen could defeat elite French knights?
Its arrows could shoot fast and pierce through heavy steel armor from far away
Part 2: The Battle of Crécy.
(Part 1) Why did the plague spread so fast inside medieval cities? (Part 2) About what percentage of Europe's total population died from the Black Death?
Part 1: Cities lacked garbage disposal and plumbing, leaving dirty streets filled with trash and sewage
Part 2: About one-third (33%).
What was the biggest legal difference between a medieval serf and a slave on a manor?
A serf was legally tied to the land (they could not be bought or sold away from the manor), while a slave was completely owned as personal property.
What exterior stone arch supports allowed Gothic cathedrals to build much higher walls filled with big stained-glass windows?
Flying buttresses.
How did the deaths of many knights and feudal lords during the Crusades change political power in Europe?
Unclaimed land went back to kings, making monarchs much stronger and weakening local lords.
How did Joan of Arc help France during the Hundred Years' War?
She inspired French troops and led them to a major victory at the Siege of Orléans.
(Part 1) How did the Black Death's massive death toll help surviving serfs and peasants?
(Part 2) What farming tool upgrade allowed peasants to plow heavy European dirt much faster?
Part 1: Labor was so scarce that surviving workers could demand higher cash wages and leave manors
Part 2: The heavy iron plow paired with the horse collar.
What census book was created by William the Conqueror in 1066 to track property ownership and collect taxes in England?
The Domesday Book.
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, what two things could work together in harmony?
Religious faith and human reason (logic).
What major educational shift happened in Europe after connecting with Islamic civilization during the Crusades?
Ancient Greek writings (like Aristotle) were translated from Arabic into Latin, sparking the growth of European universities.
(Part 1) How did monarchs change their armies after the Hundred Years' War?
(Part 2) What new political feeling grew among people in France and England?
Part 1: They stopped depending on unpredictable feudal knights and created permanent, tax-funded standing armies
Part 2: Nationalism (feeling strong loyalty to their whole country and king rather than just a local lord).
Question: (Part 1) What key job did moneychangers provide at medieval trade fairs?
(Part 2) What new social group formed in towns as trade grew during the Commercial Revolution?
Part 1: Exchanging foreign currencies, offering business loans, and issuing paper credit
Part 2: The urban middle class (merchants, bankers, and craftspeople).
How did French kings in the Capetian Dynasty slowly build up royal power over local feudal lords?
They won the loyalty of regular people by freeing peasants from lordly control and expanding royal land.
Why was it important that writers like Geoffrey Chaucer published famous books like The Canterbury Tales in the vernacular?
Writing in everyday local languages (like English) allowed regular people to read literature instead of just Latin-educated scholars.
(Part 1) What was the main goal of the military campaign in Spain called the Reconquista?
(Part 2) How did Ferdinand and Isabella force unified royal control over Spain after 1469?
Part 1: To drive Muslim rulers out of Spain and reclaim Christian rule
Part 2: They united their kingdoms through marriage and used the Spanish Inquisition court to enforce one religion and law.
(Part 1) What unified court system was set up by King Henry II using grand juries and trial juries?
(Part 2) What two big legal rights were established by the Magna Carta in 1215?
Part 1: English Common Law
Part 2: The Rule of Law (the king must obey the law) and Habeas Corpus (no arrests without a fair trial).
(Part 1) What was the main job of worker guilds in medieval cities?
(Part 2) What were the steps a worker took to advance from an unpaid child to a master shop owner?
Part 1: Setting fixed prices, wage rules, and product quality standards
Part 2: Start as an unpaid Apprentice, become a paid Journeyman, and submit an approved Masterpiece.