Unit #2 Test
DO NOT WRITE ON THE TEST! WRITE ONLY ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET!
42 Points
Part 1 – Multiple Choice (2 points each; 30 points total
Instructions – Write the letter of the best answer on the answer sheet provided.
1. Which statement best summarizes the characteristics of the Middle Ages?
A. The Middle Ages were characterized by the decline in learning, a return to an agricultural way of life and the
presence of Christianity as the social institution.
B. The Middle Ages were characterized by the revival of learning, especially in classic Greek philosophy, and the
dominance of the Roman Catholic Church.
C. The Middle Ages were characterized by the decline in learning, population shifting to the rural areas and the
dominance of the Roman Catholic Church both politically and socially.
D. The Middle Ages were characterized by the dominance of the Roman Catholic Church politically and revival
of Latin as a common language.
2. How did the events of the medieval period lead to the rise of feudalism?
A. The constant invasions from outside groups caused people to no longer trust a King to protect them, so they
started to turn to local means of protection. This eventually led to the establishment of feudal societies.
B. The rapid development of the Roman Catholic Church meant that towns needed to better organize their local
churches so they implemented feudal structures.
C. The constant invasions from outside groups meant that the Emperor needed a better military presence along the
borders. The feudal system was developed as a way to train knights to protect the territory.
D. The rapid development of the Roman Catholic Church caused tensions between the Emperor and the Pope so
the feudal system was developed to help mediate conflicts.
3. Which statement best summarizes the relationship between a fief and vassal? Why?
A. Vassals were given to fiefs, usually in return for military protection.
B. Fiefs were hired by vassals as military protection.
C. Fiefs were given to vassals, usually in return for military protection.
D. Vassals were hired by fiefs as military protection.
4. What conclusion can you draw about the role of knights in medieval society based on the Code of Chivalry?
A. Knights quickly proved themselves to be untrustworthy so something was needed to help punish knights who
broke the terms of their fief.
B. Knights were such an important part of protecting medieval society that they were held to a romanticized ideal
in order to justify their social ranking.
C. Knights were tasked with the job of protecting the King, so the code was developed as a way to train them.
D. Knights were integral in the implementation of the Roman Catholic Church as the code called for them to
serve as the head of all local churches.
5. What was the relationship between feudalism and the manor system?
A. The manor system was the economic aspect of feudalism, which established the social ranks and roles of
people living during the medieval period.
B. The manor system was the political arrangement used by lords and knights while feudalism dictated the
economic arrangements between the two.
C. The manor system was the military aspect of feudalism, which established the economic arrangements between
the classes of people.
D. There is no relationship between feudalism and the manor system because each functioned individually of the
other.
Unit #2 Test
6. What was the cause of the Bubonic Plague and how did it affect Europe?
A. It is thought that the Plague was introduced to Europe through trade routes from Africa. The Plague is
estimated to have killed nearly 1/3rd of Europe’s population and contributed to the decline of both the power of
the Church and helped to bring about the end of the Middle Ages.
B. It is thought that the Plague was introduced to Europe through Mediterranean trade routes. The Plague is
thought to have done little damage to Europe.
C. It is estimated that the Plague was introduced to Europe during the Crusades. The Plague is estimated to have
killed thousands of crusaders and aided the Muslims in their victory over the Christians.
D. It is thought that the Plague was introduced to Europe through trade routes from Asia. The Plague is estimated
to have killed nearly 1/3rd of Europe’s population and contributed to the decline of both the power of the Church
and helped to bring about the end of the Middle Ages.
7. Put the following events in the correct order:
1. The pope crowns Charlemagne emperor
2. Charlemagne reunites Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire
3. Charlemagne goes to Rome to crush a mob that attacked the pope
4. Charlemagne inherits the Carolingian kingdom
5. Charlemagne crowns his oldest son emperor
A. 1 – 2 – 4 – 3 – 5
B. 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 5
C. 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5
D. 2 – 4 – 1 – 3 – 5
8. How did the Concordat of Worms affected the relationship between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor?
A. The Concordat settled the ongoing dispute regarding the practice of lay investitures. It repaired the
relationship between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor, setting up years of cooperation within the
territory.
B. The Concordat worsened the relationship between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor because it only
temporarily solved the issue of lay investiture by temporarily suspending them.
C. The Concordat had no effect on the relationship between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor. The
agreement only served to settle the issue of lay investitures. Tensions continued to exist between the two.
D. The Concordat had no effect on the relationship between the Church and the Holy Roman Emperor because it
was merely a way to handle future lay investiture appointments. The two continued to maintain a cooperative
relationship.
9. Which statement best explains how the Magna Carta affected England in the short term and the development of the
western world in the long term?
A. In the short term, the Magna Carta strengthened to power of the king. In the long term, the Magna Carta
helped to establish how kings ruled their kingdoms and was especially influential during England’s rise to power.
B. There was no short term effect because the Magna Carta was mostly ignored after it was signed. In the long
term, the Magna Carta represented the basic legal rights of people and was influential in the development of
democracies throughout Western Europe and the United States.
C. In the short term, the Magna Carta limited the power of the king and protected the rights of the nobility. There
was no long term effect because the Magna Carta was eventually replaced with new documents.
D. In the short term, the Magna Carta limited the power of the king and protected the rights of the nobility. Long
term, the Magna Carta became the representation of basic legal rights that ought to be guaranteed to all people and
was influential on the development of the United States.
Unit #2 Test
10. Predict what might have happened in the development of Europe had Joan of Arc not aided the French in defeating the
English.
A. England would have continued to control land in France, hindering the development of France into a legitimate
state while potentially setting up England to establish an empire in Western Europe.
B. France would have likely found another way to take back the land from England but the prolonged war would
have bankrupted both countries and allowed a country like Italy to rise to power.
C. France would have never regained the land, instead developing their state within the boundaries. The
development of Western Europe would have remained unchanged.
D. England would have gone on to capture all of France as planned, potentially setting them up to reunite the old
Roman Empire.
11. How does the threat of excommunication or interdiction help to solidify the power of Catholic Church during the
Middle Ages?
A. Since the Church served as the center of political power in the Middle Ages, these 2 punishments ensured that
kings and emperors followed the commands of the pope. If they didn’t, then the pope could remove them from
power or have them executed.
B. Excommunication and interdiction did not help to solidify the power of the Church since only clergy could be
banned or denied sacraments.
C. Since the Church as the financial center of life, the threat of removing money from local churches helped to
ensure that the locals followed canon law.
D. Since the Church served as the social and religious center of life, the threat of being banned or denied
sacraments helped to ensure that people followed canon law. This then helped to strengthen the role of the
Church in political matters.
12. The introduction of the longbow changed how wars were fought during the Hundred Years’ War. What societal
impact did this change have?
A. Longbows made knights more dangerous on the field of battle. This helped to raise their status and eventually
they became more powerful than the nobility.
B. Longbows made knights useless on the field of battle, which would eventually lead to their role in feudal
society being diminished. Ultimately, this leads to the collapse of feudalism as the social structure in Europe.
C. There were no societal changes as a result of the use of the longbow. The only changes that occurred were in
military strategy.
D. Longbows allowed serfs to take part in battles. This meant that more serfs would start to train to become
knights, eliminating serfs as a reliable source of labor in feudal society.
13. The Crusades had an economic, social and political effect on Europe. Which statement best summarizes what each of
those effects were?
A. Merchants were able to take advantage of the increased contact between Europe and Southwest Asia to expand
trade while the failure of the Christians weakened the power of the Church and increased the power of kings.
B. Kings grew rich off the success of the Crusades while nobles saw their power weakened as the importance of
Church grew.
C. The Church saw their power weakened as a result of the Crusades while knights saw their social status rise as
they gained notoriety and wealth.
D. Mercenaries grew rich selling their services to the highest bidder while both the Church and Kings gained
popularity and power defending Christianity.
Unit #2 Test
14. What can guilds be compared to in today’s society. How are they different from one another?
A. Guilds can be compared to government regulation agencies. Guilds would set standards for quality of work,
wages and working conditions. Today, government regulation agencies handle all of those issues except for
wages.
B. Guilds can be compared to labor unions. Guilds would set standards for quality of work, wages and working
conditions. Labor unions today do not set standards for quality of work.
C. Guilds can be compared to government regulation agencies. Guilds were privately run organizations while
government regulation agencies are controlled by Congress.
D. Guilds can be compared to labor unions. Guild membership was reserved for nobility while labor unions are
open to all people.
15. Compare the development of France to the development of England during the Middle Ages.
A. Both France and England began to develop democratic forms of governments by centralizing power and
creating common law, however, France’s legislative body never became strong enough to limit the power of the
king like Parliament did in England.
B. France and England both developed legislative bodies near the end of the Middle Ages but France quickly
abandoned theirs and returned to a monarchy while England eventually got rid of their monarch and turned all
power over the Parliament.
C. Both France and England developed court systems and created a common law, however, England still allowed
the monarch to have say in judicial matters while France allowed the Estates-General to do so.
D. France and England both began to establish absolute monarchies but England eventually created a legislative
branch that would limit some of the power of the monarch while France was unable to do the same.
Part 2 – Constructed Response Questions (3 points each = 12 points total)
Instructions – answer each of the following questions in the space provided. You must use complete sentences.
A
How might the decline of trade during the early Middle Ages have contributed to the self-sufficiency of the manor
system?
B
How does the Children’s Crusade illustrate the power of the Church?
C
Which event do you think diminished the power of the Church more – the Great Schism or the bubonic plague? Why?
D
How was medieval European society organized socially, economically, militarily and religiously?