Medieval Europe: The Manor, the Lord, and the Church
Global History and Geography I
Name: _____________________________
E. Napp
Date: _____________________________
Word Bank: Serf, Lord, Vassal, Knight, Chivalry, Rome, Central Government, Invaders,
Medieval, Manor, Roman Catholic Church, Pope, Latin, Salvation, Excommunication,
Tithe, Monk
1. What was the most important force in
providing unity and stability throughout
western Europe during the Middle Ages?
(1) church (3) inquisition
(2) nobility (4) military
2. In western Europe, feudalism developed
after the
(1) Roman Empire collapsed
(2) Renaissance began
(3) city of Constantinople fell
(4) Mongols invaded
3. The term feudalism is best defined as a
(1) holy war between Christians and
Muslims
(2) process in which goods are traded for
other goods
(3) division of political power between three
separate branches
(4) system in which land is exchanged for
military service and loyalty
4. Which is a characteristic of a feudal
society?
(1) rapid social change
(2) high literacy rate
(3) industrial-based economy
(4) rigid class structure
5. In European feudal society, an
individual’s social status was generally
determined by
(1) birth
(2) education and training
(3) individual abilities
(4) marriage
6. Which economic system existed in Europe
during the early Middle Ages?
(1) free market
(2) socialism
(3) manorialism
(4) command
7. The growth of feudalism in Europe
during the Middle Ages was primarily
caused by the
(1) rivalry between the colonial empires
(2) suppression of internationalism
(3) decline of the Roman Catholic Church
(4) collapse of a strong central government
8. The Roman Catholic Church during the
Middle Ages in Europe can best be
described as a church that
(1) favored separation from secular
governments
(2) avoided involvement in social and
educational matters
(3) was a strong force that divided many
people
(4) was a stabilizing influence during a
period of weak central governments
9. A major goal of the Christian Church
during the Crusades (1096–1291) was to
(1) establish Christianity in western Europe
(2) capture the Holy Land from Islamic
rulers
(3) unite warring Arab peoples
(4) strengthen English dominance in the
Arab world
10. There are no precise, incontrovertible
dates to define the beginning or end of the
Middle Ages. However, many scholars agree
that the start of the medieval era is marked
by a very significant development that took
place in the fifth century. What is that
development?
(1) The Black Death
(2) The Fall of Rome
(3) The Renaissance
(4) The Scientific Revolution
Adapted from msnu.edu
“The Roman Catholic Church was the single, largest unifying structure in medieval
Europe. It touched everyone's life, no matter what their rank or class or where they lived.
With the exception of a small number of Jews, everyone in Europe was a Christian during
the Middle Ages from the richest king down to the lowest serf.
From the moment of its baptism a few days after birth, a child entered into a life of
service to God and God's Church. As a child grew, it would be taught basic prayers, would
go to church every week barring illness, and would learn of its responsibilities to the
Church. Every person was required to live by the Church's laws and to pay heavy taxes to
support the Church. In return for this, they were shown the way to everlasting life and
happiness after lives that were often short and hard.
In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also accepted gifts of all kinds from individuals
who wanted special favors or wanted to be certain of a place in heaven. These gifts included
land, flocks, crops, and even serfs. This allowed the Church to become very powerful, and
it often used this power to influence kings to do as it wanted.”
Questions:
1: What was the single, largest unifying structure in medieval Europe?
______________________________________________________________________________
2: Who was touched by the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages?
______________________________________________________________________________
3: What did the Church expect children to do?
______________________________________________________________________________
4: What did the Church give in return for the taxes people paid?
______________________________________________________________________________
5: Why did individuals give the Church gifts?
______________________________________________________________________________
6: Provide examples of gifts.
______________________________________________________________________________
7: So, why was the Church so wealthy and powerful during the Middle Ages?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

“Because religion was so important during the Middle Ages, many people devoted their
whole lives to being closer to God and doing the Church's work. Sometimes, parents
promised their children to this religious life in order to fulfill a promise to God and to
ensure their children were never homeless or without food. These people became monks (if
they were men) or nuns (if they were women) and lived apart from the rest of the people in
special communities called monasteries and nunneries. Monks and nuns promised to
always remain single, to be obedient to their superiors and to live a life of prayer. They ate
simple food, dressed in simple clothes (called habits) and spent their days in silence,
praying or working. They also attended many church services. There were seven main
church services each day, the first at dawn and the last in the middle of the night.”
8: Why did many people devote themselves to God?
______________________________________________________________________________
9: Why did parents sometimes promise their children to the religious life?
______________________________________________________________________________
10: Who were monks and nuns?
______________________________________________________________________________
11: What did monks and nuns promise?
______________________________________________________________________________
12: Describe a day in the life of a monk or nun.
______________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from historyonthenet.com
Explain the diagram
below:
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
“St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine monks
believed that the cure of the sick was one of the most
important duties of monks. During the dark ages,
monasteries were the only hospitals in Europe. Patients
were cared for in the hospitals until they recovered or
died. Their fate was God’s will. Prayer and/or
pilgrimages to holy shrines were considered the best
methods of affecting a cure.”
Questions:
1: Who was Saint Benedict?
________________________________________________
2: What did Saint Benedict believe was one of the most
important duties of a monk?
________________________________________________
3: What were the only hospitals in Europe during the
Middle Ages?
________________________________________________
4: According to the monks, what determined if a person
recovered?
________________________________________________
Define the following terms:
Lord:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Vassal:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Serf:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
How did the status of a serf differ from
the status of a free man? How did the
status of a serf differ from a slave?
_________________________________
_________________________________
How does medieval society differ from
modern society?
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________