The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe Notes
Name ____________

This nickname was given to the Middle Ages. _______________

The period known as “The Middle Ages” is characterized by trade, land ownership, strong
central govt. or no religion? Explain your selection.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Who would most likely have said, “If you give me your loyalty, I will give you land and
protection.”? __________________________

What was a knight’s most important training? There is debate for the correct answer
here—so think of what their main purpose was in the Feudalism activity.
__________________________________________________________________

Serf were peasants who were not allowed to _________________________________.

What do these medieval items have in common? _____________________________
o Stone Wall
o Moat
o Knight’s armor

In the feudal system an individual’s social status was generally determined by what?
___________

What does the word feudalism mean?
________________________________________________________________

Which city was added to the empire by Charlemagne by 814? ________________

On which river is Tours located? __________________________

Which island was added by Charlemagne by 814? _________________________

What physical feature did Charlemagne cross to enter Italy? __________________
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The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe

Members of which group believed that God had given them the right to rule?
__________________________

These actions are examples of what process?
____________________________________________________________________________________
o Outlawing the selling of church positions
o Prohibiting kings from appointing priests
o Excommunicating Holy Roman emperor Henry IV

Which of these is NOT true of the Roman Catholic church during the Middle Ages?
o Church leaders helped govern Western Europe.
o Each parish had its own pope.
o The church owned valuable land and property.
o Daily life in village revolved around the church.

The Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages in Europe can be best described as a
church that:
o Favored separation of church and state
o Avoided involvement in social and educational matters
o Was a strong force that divided many people
o Was a stabilizing influence during a period of weak central gov’t

In Europe during the Middle Ages, the force that provided unification and stability was the
_______________________.

“All things were under its domain….Its powers were such that no one could hope to escape its
scrutiny.” What European institution during the Middle Ages was best described in this
statement? _______________________________

What were the Holy Wars called? ____________________

Which statement best describes the result of the Crusades?
o Europeans maintained a lasting control over much of the Middle East.
o Islamic influence dominated Europe.
o Europeans developed tolerance of non-Christian religions.
o Trade between Europe and the Middle East was expanded.

What were two indirect results of the Crusades?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2

The Crusades have been called “history’s most successful failure.” Which statement best
explains this expression?
o The Crusades did not achieve their original goals, but they brought many desirable
changes to Europe.
o Although the Crusades captured the Holy Land, they were unable to bring about
democratic reform.
o The Crusades helped bring about the Fall of the Roman Empire.
o The Crusades prevented the Turks from capturing Constantinople for many centuries,

In Europe, a long term effect of the Crusades was
___________________________________________________________________________________.

Who would have been most likely to make the following statement? ________________________
I am traveling to Jerusalem to show God how sorry I am for having sinned. I hope we have a safe
journey.

Medieval paintings often told the story of Christ’s life. What does this suggest about people at
that time?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

The art, music, and philosophy of the medieval period in Europe generally dealt with
________________ themes.
Life in Medieval Towns

In Medieval Europe, what type of person might have spoken these words?
I believe we all have a spark of godly intelligence, that we must live in agreement
with nature, and that we must develop good character.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a stoic
an ecologist
a scientist
a priest

Where were towns in medieval Europe often located, and why?

What contributed to the growth of towns in medieval Europe?

What can guilds be compared to today? How?
3

As merchants made money, many joined town councils. Which of the following
statements best describes the situation that resulted?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Many merchants were Jews.
Many merchants gained political power.
Many merchants created guilds.
Many merchants sold exotic goods.

If you were a customer who bought shoes from a cobbler, how might a guild help you?
a. by making sure prices remained very low.
b. by making sure cobblers were treated fairly.
c. by making sure cobblers made good shoes.
d. by making sure work conditions were good.

How were Jews mistreated in medieval Europe?

Compare/Contrast the life of girls during medieval times versus today.

How did the lack of medical advancement and technology affect life in medieval towns?

How has leisure and entertainment changed over the years?

Poor living conditions, crowded homes, spread of diseases, lack of medical treatment and
medical knowledge during Medieval Europe led one to believe which of the following?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The life span of an individual was not as long as it is today.
The life span of an individual was longer than it is today.
Families lived comfortably and worried about nothing.
The majority of children grew up to become an adult.
4
Looking at the picture that I will display on the board, choose an object that represents the
topic in the box and sketch it in the box.
Guilds
Trade and Commerce
Homes and Households
Disease and Medical Treatment
Crime and Punishment
Leisure and Entertainment
Political Developments in England

What changes did the Magna Carta bring about in English government?

How did these political developments in England contribute to the decline of feudalism in Europe?

What does Magna Carta mean?
a. Great Charter
b. Important deed
c. Freedom for all
d. Rule of the chosen

What was the name of the Document that King John was forced to sign limiting the power of the King?
a. Declaration of Independence
b. Parliamentary procedures
c. Constitution
d. Magna Carta
5
A widow, on the death of her husband, may have her marriage portion and inheritance without difficulty…. She
may remain in her husband’s house for forty days after her husband’s death, within which time her dower
(property from a marriage) shall be assigned to her.
No widow shall be compelled (forced) to marry, so long as she wishes to live without a husband; provided she
does not marry without consent.
MAGNA CARTA

What right did a woman have after her husband died?
a. to live in his home until her death
b. to inherit all of his possessions
c. to make all her own decisions
d. to live in his house for forty days.

If a widow wished to remarry, she was required to:
a. request permission
b. enter a convent
c. give up her inheritance
d. leave her husband’s home.
The Bubonic Plague

Many workers died during the plague. How did their deaths affect those who remained?
a) They were able to demand better pay and more rights.
b) They were forced to return to a feudal economy.
c) They could no longer live in cities, so they moved to farms.
d) They were able to buy their own businesses and get rich.

How did the bubonic plague spread from Asia to Europe?
a. Trade routes on land
b. Around the northern coast of Africa
c. Across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea
d. It never entered Europe.
I BURIED MY FIVE CHILDREN WITH MY OWN HANDS
The mortality in Siena began in May. It was a cruel and horrible thing; and I do not know where to begin to tell of
the cruelty and the pitiless ways. It seemed that almost everyone became stupefied by seeing the pain. And it is
impossible for the human tongue to recount the awful truth. Indeed, one who did not see such horribleness can
be called blessed. And the victims died almost immediately. They would swell beneath the armpits and in their
groin and fall over while talking. Father abandoned child, wife, husband, one brother another; for this illness
seemed to strike through breath and sight. And so they died. And none could be found to bury the dead for
money or friendship. Members of a household brought their dead to a ditch as best they could without priests,
without divine offices. Nor did the death bell sound. And in many places in Siena great pits were dug and piled
deep with the multitude of dead. And they died by the hundreds, both day and night and all were thrown in those
ditches and covered with earth. And as soon as those ditches were filled, more were dug. And I Agnolo di
Tura…buried my five children with my own hands…And so many died that all believed it was the end of the
world.
-- Agnolo di Tura 1347
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

Why would the author of the above document state in line four—“Indeed, one who did not see such
horribleness can be called blessed.”
a. He felt like the plaque helped the over-populated areas.
b. He felt like the doctors should have done more for those who survived.
c. The author felt it was a blessing when people died and did not have to witness the
horrors and death caused from the plaque.
d. He felt that Siena was the best place for people to live.
What started the bubonic plaque?
a. Fleas from Rats
b. Infected cattle
c. Flu
d. Drought
After the …pestilence (disease) many buildings of all sizes in every city fell into total ruin for want of inhabitants.
Likewise, many villages and hamlets were deserted, with no house remaining in them, because everyone who had
lived there was dead, and indeed many of these villages were never inhabited again. In the following winter there
was such a lack of workers in all areas of activity that it was thought that there had hardly ever been such a shortage
before; for a man’s farm animals and other livestock wandered about without a shepherd and all his possessions
were left unguarded. And as a result all essentials were so expensive that something which had previously cost 1d
(pence or penny) was now worth 4d or 5d.
Historian Henry Knighton, c. 1388

What happened to many villages after the Black Death?
a. They were burned down.
b. Everyone who lived there had died.
c. Many people were unemployed.
d. They recovered quickly.

What happened to farm animals during the Black Death?
a. They were taken in by the government.
b. They wandered about with no one to care for them.
c. They died in their barns.
d. They died before the humans did.

How did the outbreak of plague in the 14th Century contribute to the decline of feudalism in Europe?
The Hundred Years’ War

Why were the English able to defeat the French in early battles, such as the one at Crecy?
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
Joan of Arc was accused of being which of the following?
a. Murderer
b. Witch
c. Thief
d. Traitor

What was Joan of Arc’s punishment?
a. She was beheaded.
b. She faced a firing squad.
c. She was burned at the stake.
d. She died in prison.

How did the war contribute to the decline of feudalism?

Both the plague and the Hundred Years’ War had what effect?
a. They weakened the central governments of European nations.
b. They led to a shift in power from feudal lords to common people and monarchs.
c. They led to an increase in trade with countries in Asia.
d. They encouraged the development of capitalism in European nations.
Review Questions

The term feudalism means __________.
a. feuds between aristocratic families that had become a social norm.
b. a political and social order that was highly centralized.
c. the king's power being completely overthrown by the local lords.
d. a term that has fallen out of favor among historians.

Mountains and Rivers shaped European culture by:
a. separating cultures from one another
b. leading to devastating weather
c. allowing one group to dominate
d. inspiring artists.
8
The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe
Directions: You will create a concept web over the major topics of literature and philosophy. You will
place the terms inside of your web and connect words by lines and writing connector phrases between
the words. Try to make as many connections as you can. Most words connect to multiple other
words. Your connector phrases are explanations of how the two terms relate to one another.
Feudalism Terms:
Knight
Lord
Roman Catholic Church
Monarch
Peasants
Manors
Feudalism
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Fiefs
Moats
Nobles
Nobles and Peasants
Complete the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the lives of nobles and peasants on a feudal
manor. In the overlapping parts of the ovals, write or draw three ways these groups were
similar. In each of the other parts of the ovals, draw or write three ways they were different.
Nobles
Peasants
Answer the following questions:
1.
What were Charlemagne’s greatest accomplishments? How was he helped by the Catholic
Church?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Why was there a need for order after the death of Charlemagne in 814?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
10
Think about which individuals or groups in our society are most similar to the various social classes
in European Feudal society. List those modern groups/individuals next to each level of feudal
society, and draw symbols to represent them. Then list some of their similarities and differences.
Social
Classes in
Feudal
Europe
Responsibilities
Individuals/
Groups in Our
Society
Similarities and
Differences between
these two groups
Questions
 Why was William
the Conqueror
considered such
an important
monarch?
Monarch
 What was the
role of
noblewomen in
the feudal
system?
Lords
 What was the
code of chivalry?
 What stages did
a boy go through
to become a
knight?
Knights
 How were the
lives of male and
female peasants
different?
Peasants
11
The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe
Label and explain the system of rank in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Chart lists seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. Write the correct term to the
right of its definition.
Baptism
Confirmation
Holy Orders
Eucharist
Matrimony
Extreme unction
Penance
_________Sacraments _______________________Definitions________________________________
Formal declaration of belief in God
Blessing given to someone in danger of dying
Entry into the church
Consecration of bread and wine
A man becomes a priest
Confession of sins
A formal union blessed by the church
12
Life in Medieval Towns
In this chapter, you have read about various aspects of daily life in medieval towns. These
aspects can be divided into three categories: economic, political, and social. Fill in the blank
spaces in the web below to show more details about these three categories of daily life.
What was produced?
How did towns become
independent?
How were goods
distributed?
Economic
Who held power in
towns?
Political
What did people do
for fun?
What were the
common homes like?
Social
What were health
conditions like?
13
Decline of Feudalism notes
Perhaps the most important factor in the decline of feudalism was common people gaining more power. In the
cause-and-effect chart below, fill in four cases that led to the effect of common people having more power.
Common
people
gain
power.
Many important events, such as the bubonic plague, took place in England in the 12th through 15th Centuries.
Choose three key historical events from this period to put on the spectrum below. Order the three events from
the one you believe is least significant to the one you believe is most significant. Label each event, explain why put
these events in the order you did, and create a simple drawing to represent it.
________________________
(event)
Least significant
event
___________________________
(event)
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__________________________
(event)
Most significant event