Assignment One - Solutions
File name: 8ss1
Marks: /41 marks
Section A: Multiple Choice - ______/8 marks
Section B: True and False - _______/8 marks
Section C: Fill in the Blank - _______/8 marks
Section D: Definitions - _______/8 marks
Section E: Matching - _______/9 marks
ASSIGNMENT TOTAL: _______/40 marks
Section A - Multiple Choice (8 marks)
Read each of the following questions below and then choose the BEST answer by
highlighting your choice. Each question is worth one mark.
1. The monks usually lived in the __________ so they could to live and work
together as a group intent on keeping their vows while serving both God and the
people.
 castle
 monastery
 countryside
 town
2. The _______ would serve in the army in exchange for land and title rights from
the _________.
 serfs, artisans
 serfs, freemen
 peasants, nobles
 nobles, monarchs
3. Most historians believe that the Plague came to Europe via
 various ships that came from eastern ports.
 many travellers venturing north from Africa.
 several explorers who had visited the New World.

animals who had not been treated for illnesses.
4.



In the hierarchy of the Middle Ages, the more land one owned,
the more clergy workers were needed to plant, work, and harvest the fields.
the higher the salaries of the serfs who worked most of the lands.
the higher status one had and that meant more power and
influence.
 the lower the tax rate was for official landowners with multiple properties.
5. What was the main difference between the freemen and the serfs?
 Freemen rented lands or received wages from the lords, while
serfs could not own property and they were not paid for their
work.
 Freemen were never allowed to leave the manors, while the serfs travelled freely
throughout the lands.
 Serfs were mainly traders who sold goods to interested people, while freemen
were farmers who focused only on agriculture.
 There was no difference between freemen and serfs.
6. Today, as a part of their citizenship, new Canadian citizens must swear an oath of
citizenship to Canada and the Queen. This is very similar to the oaths the knights
swore to monarchs during the Middle Ages. Upon what values do these oaths focus?
 greed, sloth, and envy
 kinship, honesty, and jealousy
 loyalty, betrayal, and beauty
 loyalty, responsibility, and duty
7. Which one of the following would be a possible reason to condemn the manorial
system?
 The manorial system gave the Middle Age economies the opportunity to grow and
expand.
 The manorial system offered privilege to very few people and it
did not support equality in society.
 The manorial system allowed the nobility to get the agricultural work done by
having more serfs work upon the estates.
 The establishment of the manorial systems resulted in a 300 year agricultural
boom in Europe.
8. Many serfs tried to escape to the city, away from their lives upon the manors.
Why?

The serfs thought that earning ten percent of the profits from all the farm work
required of them was unfair.
 The working and living conditions were much cleaner and safer than conditions in
the countryside.
 In the cities, the serfs had the opportunity to learn new trades
and work at different jobs where they could reasonably
accumulate some wealth for themselves.
The housing prices in the cities were much more affordable than those in the countryside.
Section B - True and False (8 marks)
Read the eight statements below. If the statement is true, place a ‘T’ on the line. If it is
false, place an ‘F’ on the line and then rewrite the statement to make it true in the
space provided. Each question is worth one mark. An example has been done for you.
EXAMPLE:
___F___
The Renaissance was a static time; very little change took place.
This statement is false because the Renaissance was a time
of great change.
___F___ 1. All Canadians share the Canadian worldview, so it will be very easy to
learn about worldviews in this course. This statement is false because all
people have their own unique worldviews.
___T__ 2.
A serf who escaped to the city was considered free if he or she was able to
live in the city for one year and a day without being caught and returned to
the lord’s manor.
___T___ 3.
Bubonic plague is the same disease as Black Death.
___F___ 4.
During the decade that the Plague ravaged Europe, over two million lives
were lost, which was almost a tenth of the entire continent’s population.
This statement is false because the Plague ravaged Europe
for approximately three years and over twenty-five million
lives were lost, which was almost a third to one half of the
entire continent’s population. (if you do math you can also
say… Two Million is much more then a tenth of the population- divide
the 25 by ½ and then 2 million into that answer)
___F___ 5.
Although they attended Church, religion played a very small role in
peoples’ lives during the Middle Ages.
This statement is false because the Church and religion
played a very important role in all aspects of society. For
example, the Church was a major landowner. It had great,
significant power and influence.
___T___ 6.
Fleas and rats that lived in the urban areas and on board the sailing ships
were responsible for spreading the Black Death..
___T___ 7. A hockey team is a good example of a hierarchy. The fans would be at the
bottom of the hierarchy and then the players, coaches, general managers, and the
team owners would form each of the levels above.
___F___ 8. Most nobles had a very distant relationship with the monarchies in their
owncountries because the nobles resented being denies all
privileges by the ruling kings and queens.
This statement is false. The nobles had a close
relationship with the monarchies in their own
countries because the nobles enjoyed the many privileges
granted to them by the ruling kings and queens.
Section C - Fill in the Blank (8 marks)
Using the word list below, complete each of the eight statements with the appropriate
words. Be careful! Some words will be used more than once, but others may not be used
at all. An example has been given to help you begin. Each statement is worth one mark.
allegiance
Black Death
castle walls
churches
country
hierarchy
kings
knights
land
loyalty
Middle Ages
military
monarchy
monks
official police
pests
protection
queens
ranks
Renaissance
tax collectors
town
troublesome
worldview
Example:
The kings and queens represented the wishes of the < >.
The kings and queens represented the wishes of the monarchy.
1. The knights would pledge their allegiance or Loyalty to the monarchy in
exchange for certain land rights.
2. The castle walls provided a sense of safety and security for both the townsfolk and
country dwellers.
3. Society during the Middle Ages was based on a hierarchy, that divided its
members into ranks based on their wealth and standing in the community. Each
individual was born into his or her status (ascribed status).
4. Most monks were servants of God who lived very basic lives with few personal
possessions and very few luxuries.
5. The monks usually lived in monasteries, where they would adhere to vows they had
taken while serving God and all His worshippers.
6. Our modern worldview sometimes tends to criticize past ways of life as primitive,
rather than looking at their values, knowledge, and impact on present-day society.
7. Societies in the Middle Ages certainly did not use equality as an organizing
principle. Instead, a basic system of ranks was used.
8. The monarchies would seek protection from invaders by turning to their people and
demanding a demonstration of their loyalties.
Section D - Definitions (8 marks)
There are eight words and phrases below that were very important in Workbook One.
Using your own words, write a definition for each of them in the space provided. Each
definition is worth one mark.
1. Renaissance
the revival of literature and the arts in Europe,
between the 1300s and 1500s. It marked the
transition from medieval to modern history
2. worldview
the knowledge, values, and attitudes that influence
how a person interacts with the world
3. allegiance
showing loyalty to a person, group, concept, or
nation
4. freemen
peasants who rented land from the lord or worked
for pay
5. serfs
a person who is bound to service of an estate; a
peasant who is not allowed to leave the estate
without the lord’s permission
6. monarchy
a type of government where a king, queen, or other
member of the ruling royal family rules
7. monastery
a dwelling occupied by monks living under religious
vows
8. artisan
a craftsperson who makes a product at home and
then sells the product to earn a living
Section E - Matching (9 marks)
Match the definition on the right to the correct term on the left by placing the appropriate
letter on the line. Careful – one term will be left over at the end. An example has been
given to help you get started.
A. Feudal system
B. Black Death
C. clergy
D. nobility
E. Middle Ages
F. hierarchy
G. journeyman
H. manorial system
I. Freemen
J. knights
__C__ people ordained to perform religious services for their communities
__A__ A classification in Medieval Europe where vassals were granted lands by their lords
in return for military service or performance of other duties
_G__ a worker who has completed his apprenticeship in a skilled trade
__D__ a class in society composed of people having hereditary title, rank, and privileges
__B__ contagious European plague during the1300s
__E__ period in history between the fall of the Roman Empire in 450 to about 1450
__I__ people who rented land from the lord or worked for pay
__F__ series of ranks; the higher a person’s position in the hierarchy, the more power and
influence he or she had
__J__ another name for the nobility who earned the monarch’s favor and the land rights
that went with privilege
__H__ the way life was organized in the manor or on the estate