unit 8

Why did prejudice against Jews increase as Christianity spread in the later Middle Ages?

Jews were not part of the local parish, which influenced the everyday lives of Christian Europeans. Christians were suspicious of a culture they did not understand.

In what ways did Justinian contribute to the flourishing of the Byzantine empire after the decline of Rome?

Justinian rebuilt Constantinople, formed a strong central government, reformed the laws of ancient Rome, built a powerful military, and preserved a healthy money economy throughout the Byzantine empire.

Interdict

An interdict excluded towns, regions, or kingdoms from Christian sacraments and Christian burial.

What was the relationship between lords and vassals?

They had mutual obligations; lords provided land and protection; vassals provided loyalty, military service, money, and advice.

What legal precedent did the Magna Carta set for those accused of a crime?

the right to due process of the law

Why did feudalism develop as a political and social system?

: People needed protection for themselves, their homes, and their lands in the face of invasions by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars. Responding to this basic need, the system of feudalism evolved as a decentralized structure of mutual obligations between lords and vassals. By custom, tradition, and an exchange of pledges, land was exchanged for loyalty and military service. Feudalism in practice varied from place to place and changed over time.

How do you think the opportunities available to a noblewoman and a peasant woman differed within the political and social system of feudalism?

A noblewoman could manage a manor for her husband, sometimes inherit land, and might even go to war or learn to read and write. None of these opportunities were available to a peasant woman; she worked with her family on a manor.

How did increasing Church power help create political unity in Europe?

A stronger Church was able to standardize practices throughout Christian Europe; popes claimed supremacy over secular rulers, creating a feeling of belonging to Christendom as well as to a kingdom or nation.

Why did the first part of the Magna Carta remove the monarch's authority over the Church?

to avoid having the monarch anger the Church, as King John did, resulting in his excommunication and the prohibition of church services in England

In what directions did Christianity spread? How did Christianity spread across Europe?

westward and northward; through the establishment of monasteries, by missionaries, and by monarchs deciding to become Christians

Explain the impact of the fall of Rome on Western Europe.

After the collapse of the western Roman empire, no centralized state backed by a strong army existed to maintain law and keep the peace in former Roman territories. Western Europe became politically divided, isolated, overrun by invaders, and experienced steep declines in trade and urban populations

Why do you think that "few real knights could live up to the ideals of chivalry"? Cite evidence from the text to support your conclusions.

Answers should include a reflection on the nature of the code of chivalry adopted in the later Middle Ages. The code's rules required that knights be true to their word, fight fairly, treat captured knights well, and protect the weak, including peasants and noblewomen. This suggests that such practices may not have been common in the past. Perhaps nobles felt it was necessary to establish standards against which the behavior of knights could be judged.

Describe the relationship between population growth and the expansion of trade during the Middle Ages.

As the population grew in the Middle Ages, needs developed that could not be satisfied within the manor system, so trade became necessary to acquire those goods and services.

What can you infer about power consolidation based on the actions of Hugh Capet?

Based on the actions of Hugh Capet, power consolidation can be ruthless. Capet pitted rival nobles against each other in order to acquire more land

Read the first two paragraphs of Constantinople Grows in The Byzantine Empire Thrives. Examine the Byzantine Constantinople and Medieval Trade Routes map. What do the text and the map convey about Constantinople? What different information about Constantinople can you draw from both sources?

Both the text and map indicate Constantinople's geographic location on the Bosporus and at a crossroads of trade routes. The map, for example, shows more detail about the relative location of Constantinople and the actual paths of trade routes that the text only mentions. The text vividly describes the vibrant life of the city and its people.

How did the Church's spiritual authority lead to political power?

Breaking the Church's laws, or canon law, could lead to penalties such as excommunication and the interdict, which people did not want to suffer. Secular rulers gave in to the Church rather than face the interdict, which would lead to revolts.

How did Innocent III embody the Church's political power?

He won out in his clashes with King John of England over appointing bishops and with Philip of France over an annulment of a marriage—in both cases asserting the power of the pope over that of the monarch. He put down heretical groups such as the Albigensians.

How was warfare central to life in the Middle Ages?

Rival lords battled constantly for power and also fought invaders. This gave rise to a class of warriors called knights and to the development of the castle, used as a fortress for protection during warfare.

How did Constantinople become a wealthy city?

Constantinople became wealthy through trade after its people commanded key trade routes linking Europe and Asia. Name three things that Charlemagne did to unify his kingdom.

Feudalism was based on mutual loyalty and obligations. What were some of feudalism's advantages and disadvantages for medieval knights and peasants?

Each person had an established role with its benefits and obligations. Lesser lords could grant land to their vassal knights. Knight then were under their lord's protection, but had to provide military service. Although peasants had to work for their lord and pay fees, they had shelter and protection.

Monasteries provided education to some children who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend school. How do you think monastic schools might have helped spread Christianity across Europe?

Education was based on Christian beliefs; it may have encouraged children to become monks or nuns; schools likely encouraged people to convert to Christianity.

Excommunication

Excommunication cut off people from the Church and its sacraments. It essentially expelled people from the Church.

How did Germanic tribes carve Europe into small kingdoms?

Germanic tribes, including the Goths, Vandals, Saxons, and Franks, lived in small communities. They were led by kings elected by tribal councils. These kings established their kingdoms by conducting wars of conquest. In exchange for weapons and a share in plunder taken from conquered peoples, warriors swore loyalty to the king.

List three areas of Europe named on the map that became Christian between 476 and 1050.Possible response

Germany, Russia, Norway, Scotland, parts of England

Cite two pieces of evidence in support of Louis IX being declared a saint by the Church.

Louis IX pursued religious goals of this time period, such as persecuting heretics and Jews and leading wars against Muslims. He also did a lot to improve governing, such as expanding royal courts and ending serfdom in his personal domain.

What ideas in the Magna Carta have influenced the development of the U.S. legal and governmental systems?

Many of the same rights, including habeas corpus and due process, are central to U.S. legal traditions. Other ideas in the Magna Carta, such as rulers must obey the law, people should have a voice in decisions about taxation, and all people have specific rights, have strongly influenced American ideas about government and what it should and should not do.

How did monarchs centralize their power during the High Middle Ages? Why did this increase their influence?

Monarchs created centralized courts, bureaucracies, and tax systems. With this centralization, monarchs had the people turning to them and their government rather than to the nobles or the Church and their governments.

How were Jews treated in Muslim Spain?

Muslim rulers were somewhat tolerant of other religions, and Jews flourished there.

Compare the rights and obligations of noblemen and noblewomen during the Middle Ages.

Noblemen owed military service and loyalty to their lord. They guided and protected their vassals. Noblewomen owed loyalty and obedience to their husbands, but performed some of the lord's duties if he was absent. They provided day-to-day management of the household and were expected to bear children.

How were nobles and the Church obstacles for monarchs who wanted more power?

Nobles and popes fought for power. Nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. Pope Innocent II forced King John to yield in regard to appointing bishops.

Describe the mutual rights and obligations between lords and peasants.

Peasants farmed their lords' lands, repaired roads, bridges, and fences, needed permission to marry, and were forced to pay fees to the lords. In exchange for their work, peasants were given a plot of land to farm for themselves, and they were protected from raids or warfare by the lords. Despite needing their lords' permission for many aspects of their lives, peasants were provided food, shelter, and land.

What do you think caused peasants working on medieval manors to die so young?

Peasants on manors worked very hard, had poor diet and sanitation, and were very vulnerable to disease.

Look at the chart. Note the population figures for the dates represented by the bars. How does the graph support the phrase "towns emptied" to describe the period following the collapse of Rome?

Students should show an understanding that the information conveyed by the bar graph indicates a precipitous drop in the population of Rome from the early 300s to 800. They should note that this decline in population accelerates over time, decreasing by 25% from the early 300s to 419, falling by more than 60% from 419 to 590, and then crashing by 80% between 590 and 800.

Prior to the Great Schism, how did the practice of Christianity in the Byzantine empire differ from that in Western Europe?

The Byzantine Church used Greek instead of Latin. Byzantine Christians celebrated the use of holy icons. Papal supremacy was rejected in the Byzantine Church. Priests could be married in the Byzantine Church. Rejection of the filioque clause helped ignite the flames that caused the Great Schism.

How did the Crusades and the Reconquista increase the power of the Church?

The Crusades united secular forces in Europe behind the power of the Roman Catholic Church. During the First Crusade, the crusaders rode in part to aid the Byzantines, which increased the power and standing of the Roman Catholic pope relative to the Greek Orthodox emperor and patriarchs. Later crusades continued to strengthen the influence of the Church as the motivating force behind the military expeditions. Likewise, the Reconquista was initiated by Queen Isabella with the intent of uniting Christians within Spain and strengthening the Roman Catholic Church by expelling Muslims.

How did the growing middle class lead to the expansion of towns and cities?

The growing middle class was made up of merchants who could not travel in winter. They waited out the winter near a castle or in a town. These settlements in turn attracted artisans who made goods that merchants could sell. This caused the settlements to grow in size.

Why did the collapse of the western Roman empire lead to the formation of medieval Europe?

The lack of unifying forces—in the past provided by the centralized Roman state and army—led to turmoil and decline. These problems led to the development of the new political, social, and economic systems of medieval Europe.

What were two factors that led to the development of the manorial system?

The manor system developed because of a weakening system where kings and emperors were no longer able to provide security. This also led to a decline in trade, which resulted in the need to be more self-sufficient. The manorial system allowed for the peasants to work to provide items that used to be acquired through trade.

What was the primary cause of the growth of feudalism during the Middle Ages?

The primary cause for the growth of feudalism during the Middle Ages was the collapse of a strong central government.

Evaluate the relationship between Islam and the Germanic kingdoms. Was it a positive or negative relationship? Cite evidence to support your position.

The relationship between Islam and the Germanic kingdoms was negative because as Islam grew and spread into Europe, fear and anxiety rose within the Germanic kingdoms. War erupted between the Franks (Christians) and the Muslim armies. The Christians prevailed and halted the spread of Islam into Western Europe. The relationship between Islam and the Germanic kingdoms also had some positive aspects related to cultural diffusion. The Muslim armies brought new ideas about mathematics and science into the European region.

What can you infer about the relationship between the German emperors and the Church?

The relationship between the German emperors and the Church was strained because the power dynamic was shifting. The pope crowned Otto I the emperor, and Otto appointed bishops to government jobs. The pope began reform efforts and tried to end interference in Church affairs by the secular government.

Explain the social structure of the manorial system.

The social structure of the manorial system consisted of the lord of the manor, who had both legal and economic power, over the peasants, who worked and resided on the estate. In exchange for goods and services, the lord provided homes and protection for the peasants . The lords exerted enormous power over the peasants and often controlled if and when they could leave the manor.

How and why did medieval towns and cities grow?

Towns grew because of increased trade, the growth of trade fairs, the decline of serfdom, and the increased use of money.

How were the waves of invaders that threatened Europe after Charlemagne's death similar to and different from each other? Support your answer by citing details from the text and map titled Invasions of Europe, 700-1000 in New Invasions Pound Europe

Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars all invaded and plundered Western Europe from the coasts and attacked inland, terrifying people for hundreds of years. Viking sailors arrived as raiders from the sea but also explored, traded, and established settlements. Muslim invaders also settled as they expanded their empire from the Middle East and North Africa into Spain and Sicily, and threatened Constantinople. The nomadic Magyar invaders plundered Germany, parts of France, and Italy from settlements in present-day Hungary.

Why did King John's nobles become angry with his rule and seek to limit his power?

because King John kept raising taxes to pay for war with France

How did Clovis and Charlemagne spread Christianity and employ it as a unifying social and political force in their kingdoms?

converts to Christianity, thus unifying his Christian subjects, gains support of pope; Charlemagne: a Christian, allies with Church, crowned by Pope Leo III as Emperor of the Romans, sends out missionaries

Name three things that Charlemagne did to unify his kingdom.

fought off invaders; conquered peoples; spread Christianity, further blending Germanic, Roman, and Christian traditions; set up orderly governments that nobles ruled locally; promoted education as another tool for unification

What led Jews to migrate to Eastern Europe and Muslim lands?

increasing persecution of Jews in the late 1000s

What were Justinian's accomplishments?

rebuilt Constantinople; with autocratic rule unified and enlarged the empire to its greatest size; built the strongest military force in the world; restored Roman glory by rebuilding the Church of Hagia Sophia; reformed the laws of ancient Rome and created a "body of civil law" known as Justinian's Code

Describe the rights and responsibilities of kings, knights, lords, and peasants under feudalism.

rights: Kings had the right to divide up their land. Lords (vassals) received land (fief) from the king. Peasants had the right to shelter and protection from the lords and king. Knights were respected members of the society. responsibilities: Kings had to protect the kingdom. Lords has to remain loyal to the king. Lords had to manage the peasants (serfs). Peasants had to work the fields. Knights had to learn to ride horses, maintain their weaponry and armor, and be ready for battle. Knights were expected to protect the weaker members of society.

What power did the Great Council gain over the king?

the power to approve any increase in taxes