Middle Ages Introduction
Group 1:
Pages 74-78 (don’t worry about pages 76-77)—The Middle Ages
1. What was the Battle of Hastings?
o When did it occur?
o Who were the two leaders?
o Why was the battle fought?
o Who won the battle?
o Why was the battle so important--how did the outcome of the battle affect the future of England?
2. What does the term “Anglo-Norman” mean?
3. In terms of language and social structure, how did the Normans influence England?
RACE: The Battle of Hastings was the single most important event in English history. Why?
Group 2: Pages 78-80
Feudalism and Knighthood
1. Define “feudal” system. Make sure to note God’s role.
2. In what sense did members of feudal society not have “freedom”?
3. Define the different castes that make up the feudal social structure. What is the function of each of these groups? Create a neat,
organized, colorful chart on a separate piece of poster paper. You can use the chart on this website for information, but don’t just copy
it: http://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval_life/feudalism.htm
4. What is the main function of the knight?
RACE: How is a society based on the feudal system different than society as we know it today?
Group 3: 80-82
Women in Society; Chivalry and Courtly Love;
1. What political rights did women have? None
2. What is chivalry?
3. What rule of warfare that knights have to follow is given as an example?
4. What are the Ten Commandments of Chivalry? Use this website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry
5. What is courtly love?
6. How did the practice of courtly love improve a knight?
7. How is courtly love different than a normal love affair?
RACE: How was Medieval society different than today’s society in terms of how individual people behaved?
Group 4: 82-84
The New City Classes: Out from Under the Overlords.
1. What caused the feudal system to become obsolete?
2. How do many of Chaucer’s characters relate to the feudal system?
3. Once the social system was changed and the feudal structure began to be less important, how and why were the arts affected?
4. What were some of the major factors that caused the decline of the feudal system?
Use the following website: http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-england/decline-of-feudalism.htm for your information.
RACE: What was the most important factor in the decline of feudalism?
Group 5:
The Great Happenings: The Crusades 83-85
1. What were the Crusades?
2. Europe did not win the Crusades. However, they did benefit from the experience. How did Europe benefit from the Crusades?
The Magna Carta: 85
1. What does Magna Carta mean?
2. When was it signed?
3. Who did not like the Magna Carta? Why not?
4. What were a couple of the rights given by the Magna Carta?
RACE: In what way was the Magna Carta an important step in improving the rights of people?
Group 6:
The Martyrdom of Thomas a Becket
1. What does Chaucer’s Canterbury tales have to do with Thomas Becket?
2. In those days, who was so powerful that he even controlled kings?
3. What religious denomination were all English expected to observe?
4. Why did King Henry appoint Becket as the archbishop of Canterbury?
5. Why was Becket killed by King Henry?
6. What is a martyr? Make sure you tell the class that Becket became a martyr.
RACE: How was religion different in Medieval England than it is in the United States today?
Group 7
The Hundred Years War: 86-87
1. What was the purpose of the Hundred Years War?
2. Who won the Hundred Years War?
3. How did warfare in England change as a result of the Hundred Years War?
4. How did England benefit from the Hundred Years War as a nation?
The Black Death: 88
1. What is the “Black Death” another name for?
2. How was it spread?
3. How serious was the Black Death?
4. What was the social impact of the Black Death? (Even though it killed so many, it had a result that helped the lower classes—what was
it?)
RACE: What was one positive result of the Black Death for the peasants?
Group 8
Fleas, Money, and Gunpowder: 86-87
In the early Middle Ages much business was conducted using something called a “barter” system.
1. What is a “barter system”?
2. Why did the Crusades bring about a financial system based on coins?
3. What was the advantage of having coins instead of bartering?
4. What caused a major change in warfare in the 1300’s? Where did it come from?
5. When the feudal system began to disappear, what took its place?
RACE: How did the Crusades help change the European financial system?
Group 9
Geoffrey Chaucer (pg 99) and The Canterbury Tales
1. What is Chaucer often called?
2. What did he do for the English language?
3. What language did most English citizens speak in Chaucer’s time?
4. What did Chaucer do with the English language that no one else had done?
5. When was Chaucer born?
6. What happened to Chaucer during the Hundred Year’s War?
7. What are three positions that Chaucer held in his lifetime?
8. What Italian work is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales similar to?
RACE: In what way was Chaucer a revolutionary English writer?