HIST 001: Western Civilization
Review Sheet – 3rd term examination
Here are some terms you should know. As in your first test, make sure that you can both
identify their basic factual information, such as place and date, AND write about their
significance to the greater picture. Answer the “so what?” Why is this term important?
How does it fit into the picture we have been creating of Western civilization? Since some
of the material is directly from the textbook, and not from lecture, I was much more
specific with the terms…
Magyars
Vikings
Thing
Thralls
Runes
Danelaw
Attempts at re-organization of the Empire
Merovingians
Clovis
Carolingians
Charlemagne
Treaty of Verdun
Feudalism
Knights & castles (response to 9thcentury raids)
Lord/vassal
Feudal contract
Fief
Subinfeudation
Scutage
Manorialism
Desmene
Serf
Technological advances
The Three Orders (+ 1)
Roles & rights
Medieval Christianity
Patriarch/Pope
Cultural influence
Inquisition
Crusades
Causes
Reconquista
Consequences
Scholasticism
Universities
Seven liberal arts
St. Thomas Aquinas
The Commercial Revolution
Urban trade
Role of crusades
Guilds
Urban growth (rise of towns)
Communes
Life in towns
Artisans
The Black Death
Causes & consequences
The Hundred Years War
As did your second exam, this test will include an essay question, which you must answer in
full. Do note that a short, one- or two-paragraph essay is not going to cut it…
The instructions will be as follow:
Write an essay in which you answer the question below. Answer the question in full; that
is, make sure to reply to each of the subsidiary questions. The essay is worth 60 points;
partial credit will be given.
Possible essay questions:
1. Charlemagne, a successful political ruler, was also the energy behind the Carolingian
(9th century) renaissance. Discuss the cultural developments within the
Frankish empire. What was the purpose for the cultural reforms? How did
Charlemagne bring them about? Were they effective? If so how?
2. Needing protection from invading tribes, medieval people renounced their freedom
and sought protection under a lord. Explain how feudalism shaped medieval life.
How did this new system affect political life? How did peasants and knights respond
to this new political framework? How did the new rulers respond? How did they
consolidate their power?
3. Manorialism is an economic structure that emerged in connection with feudalism.
Explain how manorialism evolved and how it shaped medieval life. What
happened to peasants who came under this system? How did they live? How were
they treated by the lords? Why was this system so intricately tied with feudalism?
4. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the Roman Latin Church became the single
unifying factor of the medieval world. Was its position religious or political or both?
Discuss the medieval church and its role in the medieval word. Was the role
consistent or did it change over time? How did the church interact with the
fragmented political structure? How did this effect the Christian religion?