World History Quest: The Formation of Western Europe
What was the chief goal of the Crusades?
to recover Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslim Turks
What were the problems identified by Church reformers during the Middle Ages?
Village priests married and had families contrary to Church law.
Bishops sold positions in the Church for money.
Kings, rather than Church leaders, appointed bishops.
What was the effect of the three-field system?
Farmers produced more food and villagers had more to eat.
Describe a Guild.
an association of people who worked at the same occupation
What did the Magna Carta guarantee?
basic legal rights
What was the major cause of the Great Schism?
arguments about which man holding the position of pope was the true pope
What was the name of the legislative body of medieval England?
parliament
During the later Middle Ages, where were most serfs likely to search for freedom?
towns or cities
Which group was most responsible for the spread of the bubonic plague to Europe?
traders
What was the central issue of the Hundred Years War?
the throne of France
What are characteristics of Gothic architecture?
sculpture
stained.glass windows
high, vaulted ceilings
What was one negative effect of the Crusades that has continued to the present?
Hostility between Muslims and Christians
In what kind of language did Dante Alighieri and Geoffrey Chaucer write?
vernacular
What issue led to both of the Magna Carta and the establishment of Parliament?
The power of the king
Why were Europeans able to begin studying ancient Greek works?
They gained access to Muslim and Byzantine libraries that contained
Greek works.
Describe the Crusades. (What were they? Why were they fought? Who started them? Who
fought against whom? )
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A long series of wars between Christians and Muslims
They fought over control of Jerusalem which was called the Holy Land
Pope Urban II called for the defeat of the Turks (Muslims), returning the Holy Land
to the Christians
The Christians and the Turks
How did the Great Schism and the Black Death lead to the end of the Middle Ages? Provide
three examples.
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During the Middle Ages the two most imports parts of society were the religion and
the feudal system.
The Great Schism was the division of the church where it loses power. Religion was
beginning to be of a lesser importance
The Black Death caused the church to lose power and respect since it didn’t help the
people
Things that we had during the Middle Ages begin to fade away due to these events.
As a result of these things we see a decrease in population, life style changes,
leaving the manor and starting to create true towns and we begin to see the
beginning of a centralized government with a head and a legislative
Simony - the practice of selling church positions
Inquisition – the Church court used in Spain to persecute Jews and Muslims
Guild – acts like a modern day union in an organization of workers in the same occupation
Magna Carta – the Great Charter; it’s what America based its Bill of Rights provided basic legal
rights
Gothic – a new style of architecture that rose up and defined the Age of Faith
Three-Field System – a new style of farming that allowed farmers to rotate crops and in turn
grow more food
Commercial Revolution – a time period that saw great progress in trade and business
Crusades – a series of Holy wars to gain control of the Holy Land
Bubonic Plague – a deadly disease that caused 1/3 of Europe’s population to die
Vernacular – the everyday language of the people
Great Schism – the great split in the Catholic Church over who was the true pope
Parliament – the legislative branch of the English government
Reconquista – the organize effort to drive the Muslims out of Spain
Why did the Gothic style of church develop during this time period? (how did it show what was
happening in society). Describe the difference between a Romanesque style church and a Gothic
style church, and provide four examples.
Middle Ages was known as the Age of Faith. Religion takes priority in the daily life of
the people. As it becomes more important it also becomes the social center. A change in the
style of the church reflects this.
With the Church becoming more important we see a change from the Romanesque style
to the Gothic Style
The traditional Romanesque church was all of these things:
 Stain glass – traditional, basic, and usually tells a story
 Dark, dim and closed in
 Low ceilings
 “boring” dull simple
 barrel vaults – rounded
 few small windows
 rounded arches
 closed in – more wall space
The traditional Gothic style church was all of these things:
 stain glass – usually more decorative, an example is the Rose Glass
 light and open
 high ceilings
 fancy and decorative
 rib vaults – arched or pointed
 many large open windows
 pointed arches
 more open – less wall space