Ryan Velarde
Period 4
10-11-05
Chapters 8-9 Study Guide- Middle Ages
*peasant- The lowest class in the middle Ages. They did all of the work at their lord’s manor.
*usury- The practice of lending money at interest. Merchants and bankers made prophets from usury.
*capital- It is money for investment. Because merchants needed capital banking houses grew in wealth.
*tithe- Payment to the church 1/10 of a person’s income. People had to donate 1/10 of the money they make to the church as a tax and a way to help the church.
*fief- An estate granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service and loyalty. The lord’s gave their vassals land to live on if the vassals worked for them and were loyal to them.
*chivalry- It is a code of conduct for knights during the Middle Ages. It required knights to be true and loyal to their word.
*charter – A written document that set out the rights and privileges of a town. Merchants would ask the local lord to set up one of these to protect their rights and in return the merchants would pay the lords.
*troubadour- It is a wondering poet in the Middle Ages. Chivalry gave these people ideas and the troubadours praised women.
*manor economy- The manor was the lords estate. The manor consisted of 1 or more villages and surrounding lands.
*how monks and nuns lived- They lived in monasteries. They vowed to a life of not having physical things because they believed they did not need them.
*Why was church reform desired? Church reform was desired because discipline weakened. Many members of the clergy lived in luxury and forgot about their vows and values.
*new agricultural technologies- By 800 iron plows had evolved which made it easier and more efficient to plow. Windmills also began to spring up.
*defense of castles (moats, etc) - Castles had many defense mechanisms to keep them safe from attacks. Moats and high walls were strategically built to protect the castles.
*Battle of
*vassals- A lord who was granted land in exchange for service and loyalty to a greater lord. There were many vassals for vassals because each vassal had to provide a certain number of knights to their lord.
*peasants- The lowest class in the Middle Ages. They did all of the work at their lord’s manor.
*knights- they were the warriors of the Middle Ages. They trained for a long time to become a knight.
*lords- They are the highest f peoples in the Middle Ages. They own estates and have vassals to work for them.
*why did the church have great power over the people? The church had great power over the people because it was an important part in society. It was like a ruler.
*Cluniac reforms- It reformed all the people of the church that broke their vows. It reinstated the Benedictine rule.
*Three field system- It was a system of farming that involved 3 fields rather than 2. It mad it easier and faster to grow crops.
*merchant guilds- They were groups of one type of workers. They were made to protect the people of each guild.
*clergy- Members of the church. They made up rules.
*nobles- They had as much or more power than the king. They had their own courts and collected their own taxes.
*Charlemagne- He was a ruler of the medieval times. He welcomed foreigners into his kingdom.
*Leif Erikson- He was a very powerful Viking. He conquered many lands.
*serf- They were the lowest class in the medieval times. They worked around their lord’s houses.
*excommunication- Exclusion from the Catholic Roman Church for not obeying their laws. People who did not pay tithes were excommunicated.
*steel plow- It was a plow made out of steal. It made farming much quicker and easier.
*feudal system- It was the system of classes. The local lords would divide up land and give it to lesser lords called vassels.
*Black Death- which regions most devastated? % population
died? Result?- The most devastated regions were the
South Western part of Europe, but mostly
*Magna Carta- It was a document in which some people made the king sig. it took power away from the kings.
*Concordat of Worms- It was a treaty between Gregory and Henry. It said that the church had the sole power to elect and ivest bishops with spiritual authority.
*Chief goal of/ and result of the Crusades- The crusades were religious wars. The crusades captured land.
*Reconquista- It was a reconquest of the
*early jury system- A jury was composed to see if a case should go on trial. Also 12 neighbors were picked to judge the trial.
*conflict between emperors and popes- The emperors and popes both wanted power. They each believed they should be more powerful than the other.
Short Answer
A. 5 reasons late Middle Ages was a time of decline. The late Middle Ages was a time of decline because of the Black death. People also wanted power and fought over it. Many leaders and leaders of the church died so there was no order. There was also economic trouble. There was also the Hundred Years’ War.
B. 3 long term effects of the crusades- It brought more power to the church, a greater urge for trade, and increased power of the feudal monarchs.