Terms : Hide Images
| 11991713773 | Black Death | The plague that struck Europe in the 14th century which significantly reduced he continent's population. It has a tremendous effect on production and trade of goods. It also greatly hampered progress during its outbreaks. | 0 | |
| 11991713774 | Vikings | Seagoing raiders from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who disrupted the coastal areas of Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Their primary concern was to pillage, not to conquer. | 1 | |
| 11991713775 | Hanseatic League | An organization of cities in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance. | 2 | |
| 11991713776 | Serfs | Sitting at the bottom of the heirarchical scale, they were peasant agricultural laborers within he manorial system of the Middle Ages. | 3 | |
| 11991713777 | Scholasticism | Philosophical approach of the Middle ages that used logic to resolve theological uncertainties. It was popular in Medieval universities. | 4 | |
| 11991713778 | Three- Field System | A system of agricultural technique which calls for crops to be planted on two- thirds of one's land while the other third remain fallow for nutrients to be reintroduced to the soil. | 5 | |
| 11991713779 | Investiture | The appointment of bishops and church officials by the secular rulers of the area. | 6 | |
| 11991713780 | Carolingians | Royal house (family) of the Franks who ruled present day France from the 8th to 10th century. The most noted member of the family was Charlemagne. | 7 | |
| 11991713781 | The Crusades | Efforts by Catholic knights, called by popes, to control the Holy Lands of the Middle East. In total there were eight expeditions. | 8 | |
| 11991713782 | Charlemagne | King of the Franks who created the largest Frankish Kingdom in both present day France and Germany. He is also responsible for re-establishing the value of education. | 9 | |
| 11991713783 | Hundred Years War | Conflict between England and France from 1337-1453 which was fought over lands England possessed in France. At the center of the dispute was feudal rights versus the claims of new nations. | 10 | |
| 11991713784 | Vassals | Members of the military elite who received land for their military service from a feudal lord. | 11 | |
| 11991713785 | Parliment | A body of government representing a privileged group in England (later Spain, France, and Germany had these types of bodies). In many instances the King would have to consult and receive permission from this body before moving forward on his plan. This is the precursor to the United States' Congress. | 12 | |
| 11991713786 | Magna Carta | A charter, or contract, between King John of England and the country's nobility. The document confirmed the rights of the nobility against the will of the monarchy. Essentially, it placed limits on what a ruler could and could not do. | 13 | |
| 11991713787 | Middle Ages | The term used to define the period of time in Western Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and Renaissance. This time period included feudalism, the Crusades, and Gothic architecture. | 14 | |
| 11991713788 | Three estates | The social groups considered the most powerful in Western European countries. It included groups for the clergy, nobility, and urban leaders. | 15 | |
| 11991713789 | William the Conqueror | The Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066. He extended the feudal system to England, but claimed no allegiance to France. He created the position of sheriff in an effort to establish a more centralized control on Feudalism. | 16 | |
| 11991713790 | Urban II | The pope of the Catholic Church who called the first crusade (1095) to the Holy Land (Middle East) to free it from the Muslims. | 17 | |
| 11991713791 | Holy Roman Empire | A loose conglomeration of independent states in Germany during the Middle Ages. A per its name, it billed itself as the next big empire in the world. However, it failed to create central authority in Germany and slowly dissolved. | 18 | |
| 11991713792 | Gregory VII | Pope during the 11th century who attempted to free church from interference from feudal lords in the appointment of bishops and church officials by the secular rulers of the area. To stop the practice he declared war on the Holy Roman Empire. | 19 | |
| 11991713793 | Charles Martel | Carolingian monarch who defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours. These defeat stopped Islam's advancement farther into Europe. As a result Christianity became cemented in Western Europe. | 20 | |
| 11991713794 | Thomas Aquinas | Catholic theologian who believed that through reason one could comprehend the natural order, moral law, and nature of God. | 21 | |
| 11991713795 | Clovis | Frankish King who converted to Christianity. His conversion allowed for Christianity to spread throughout present day France giving it a wider following. | 22 | |
| 11991713796 | Gothic | Architectural style of the Middle Ages that featured pointed arches, spires, stained glass windows, and flying buttresses to support exterior walls. The style was designed to promote the unearthly and mythical presence of God during worship. | 23 | |
| 11991713797 | Moldboard | A heavy plow introduced in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. It allowed for deeper cultivation of heavier soil. This was an important achievement to the increase of agricultural production. | 24 | |
| 11991713798 | Guilds | Association of people in the same business or craft in a single city. It limited membership and apprenticeships to carefully guard trade secrets and promote quality workmanship. | 25 | |
| 11991713799 | Manorialism | The economic and political system during the age of feudalism featuring peasants and landlords. It involved a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations that exchanged labor or rents for access to land. | 26 |
