Chapter 1 Prehistory

Prehistory is the time before written language. The scientists who study prehistory and
how the earliest humans lived are called archaeologists. They get information from objects
made by humans like tools and jewelry from thousands of years ago. These objects are
called artifacts.

Archaeologists also dig up the bones of ancient humans and of the animals that lived with
them. In 1974, archaeologists found a 3.5 million year old skeleton in Ethiopia of a
hominid, a humanlike being that had walked upright. Because they walked upright, these
early humans could travel long distances, use their arms to carry things and see threats
from a distance. They also developed one other major human trait, the opposable thumb,
which they could move across their palms and touch each of their other fingers. This
enabled them to pick up and hold objects.

During the Stone Age people used fire, made tools and developed language. Culture is
the special way of life followed by a group of people. Scientists divide the Stone Age into
two parts. The Paleolithic, or Old Stone Age, lasted from 2.5 B.C. to 8000 B.C. The
Neolithic, or New Stone, Age went from 8000 B.C. to 3000 B.C. Much of the Old Stone
Age overlapped the Ice Age.

The people who lived in the Old Stone Age were nomads. They traveled constantly and got
food by hunting and gathering. They often returned to the same areas at certain times of
year because they knew they would find food there. They eventually realized that they could
grow their own food. People needed fertile soil and water for farming, so they settled in river
valleys. Slash and burn farming was a method of clearing land for farming by cutting down
trees, burning them and using the ashes to fertilize the soil. Animals were domesticated, or
tamed for use as work animals and as food sources. This change from hunting and
gathering to farming is known as the Neolithic Revolution. A method of clearing a field for
planting by cutting down the trees and burning them was called Slash & burn farming.
The ashes fertilized the soil.
2
Life became more complex as people began to live together in large groups. Some people
had more power and wealth than others and social classes developed. A civilization has
these 5 features:

1. advanced cities with large populations and centers of trade

2. specialized workers who focus on specific kinds of work.
3. complex institutions such as government, religion, and economic systems
4. record-keeping and writing
5. advanced technology the creation of new tools and techniques for solving problems

Artisans are skilled workers who make goods by hand.

Bartering is the exchange of goods and services without money
Professional record keepers were called scribes.
The Sumerian writing system was called cuneiform.
Pyramid shaped temples of ancient Sumer were called Ziggurats.
Chapter 1 Prehistory (Answer using COMPLETE sentences)
1. On which continent was evidence of the earliest humans found?

2. What are artifacts?

3. What is culture?

4. What are 3 advantages to walking upright?

5. What was the Neolithic Revolution?

6. What does domestication mean?

7. What is specialization?

8. What are artisans?

9. What are scribes?

10. What was the Sumerian writing system called?

11. List 5 basic characteristics of a civilization.

12. What is bartering?

13.What is a Ziggurat?
Chapter 2 Early Civilizations
The world’s first civilization appeared in Mesopotamia, (which means “Land Between the Rivers”)
near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in an area that was called the Fertile Crescent because of its
rich soil and its shape. These rivers flood each year and leave behind rich soil called silt. The
Sumerians who lived in this region faced three problems.
1. The floods were not predictable.
2. They had no protection against enemies.
3. The area lacked the natural resources needed to make tools.

The Sumerians solved these problems by

1. digging irrigation ditches from the river to their fields,
2. building walls around their villages and
3. trading the extra food they produced for the things they needed.

Several large city-states developed. These cities controlled the area around them and were like
independent countries. When the rulers died, power passed to their children. Rule of an area by the
members of the same family over time is called a dynasty. The Sumerians were polytheistic,
which means they believed in many gods. They invented the sail, the wheel, the plow and the
world’s first writing system called cuneiform. They build large pyramid shaped temples called
ziggurats.

Sumer and other city–states were conquered by a king named Sargon. He created the world’s first
empire by taking control of areas that had formerly been independent. The culture of Sumer
spread. The spread and exchange of goods and ideas between societies is called cultural
diffusion. The Babylonian king Hammurabi created the first law code. There were class divisions
and not all people were punished in the same way but the law applied to everyone in the empire. A
typical penalty was retribution in kind, for example: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

An Egyptian civilization appeared on the Nile River. The ruler was the pharaoh, who was believed
to be both a king and god. A government in which the ruler is seen as a divine figure is a
theocracy. The Egyptians believed in many gods in addition to the pharaoh. The bodies of
pharaohs were mummified and buried with their possessions in huge pyramids. Egyptians
believed the pharaohs needed these things for the afterlife. The Egyptian writing system was called
Hieroglyphics. They wrote on a kind of paper made from plants called papyrus.

The first civilization in India began near the Indus River. Historians don’t know much about this
civilization because they can’t understand the writing. However, the cities of the Indus River Valley
show signs of careful planning, unlike other early civilizations. Because the homes were very
similar, it seems there were no great class differences.
3
The last early civilizations began in China near the Huang He River. It was geographically isolated
from other societies by ocean, desert and mountains.

The Shang were the first dynastic family to leave written records. Shang society had social
divisions between the ruling noble class and the peasants. However, the importance of family was
central to both classes of society. China’s writing system was different from others because there
was no link between spoken and written language. Symbols stood for ideas, not sounds.

The ancient Chinese believed that their leaders received the authority to rule from the gods. This
concept is called the Mandate of Heaven. Disasters such as floods or war were signs that a ruler
that had lost the support of the gods and should be replaced. The replacing of ruling families is
called the dynastic cycle. The Shang were succeeded by the Zhou.
Chapter 2
1. Where is the Fertile Crescent and why was given its name?

2. What is silt ?

3. What 3 Problems did the Sumerians face?

4. How they solved these problems?

5. Was does irrigation mean?

6. Define city state.

7. What is a dynasty?

8. What does polytheism mean?

9. What were the social classes of Sumer?

10. Define empire.

11. What civilization did Hammurabi rule?

12. What was Hammurabi’s Code?

13. What was a pharaoh?

14. What is cultural diffusion?

15. How were pyramids used?

16. What are hieroglyphics?

17. What is papyrus?

18. Why don’t historians know much about the Indus River civilization?

19. Which civilization had carefully planned cities?

20. How was China was isolated from other civilizations?

21. How was China’s writing system different from the languages of other civilizations?

22. What was the Mandate of Heaven?

23. What was the Dynastic Cycle?

24. How is power transferred during a period of dynastic rule?

Chapter 3 Early Religions
The Indo-Europeans moved from the steppes of Asia into areas that were already populated.
The movement of large groups is called migration. Two important groups of Indo-Europeans were
the Hittites and the Aryans. The Hittites had a powerful army that used war chariots and iron
weapons to conquer the people of Mesopotamia.

The Aryans invaded the Indus Valley. Much of what we know about Aryan society comes from their
sacred literature, the Vedas. Aryan society was divided into three social classes, based on
occupation: (1) priests, (2) warriors, and (3) peasants & traders. Non-Aryans were included as a
fourth class. There were complex rules for how people in these classes, or castes, could interact.
People were born into a caste and remained in it for life. People who did work that was thought to
be unclean were not included in the caste system. They were called “untouchables.”

Hinduism developed over thousands of years. Unlike most religions, it was not started by a single
individual person with a set of ideas. Hindus believe in many gods. They believe in reincarnation:
that each person’s soul (atman) is born into a series of new bodies until it reaches a state of
understanding, free from illusion, and is united with the universal soul (Brahman). They believe in
karma: that how a person lives in one life determines the conditions of their next life. A person’s
caste is determined by their soul’s karma The Jainists believe that every animal and person has a
soul and must not be harmed.

An Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama began to teach in 500 B.C. He was given the name
Buddha, which means the “enlightened one”. The belief system based on his teaching is called
Buddhism. The central beliefs of Buddhism are the are the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is filled with suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by selfish desire for the pleasures of the world.
3. Suffering will end when you end these selfish desires.
4. End these desires by following the Eightfold Path (the Middle Way between desire & denial).

The Eightfold Path describes a way of life in which a person has 1. right views, 2. right resolve, 3.
right speech, 4. right conduct, 5. right livelihood, 6. right effort, 7. right mindfulness, 8. right
concentration.
Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in reincarnation, leading to nirvana. Unlike Hindus, Buddhists do
not believe in a caste system or pray to a supreme God. Buddhism attracted many followers,
especially from people from the lower classes. Buddhism spread to China, Korea and Japan
through trade.

The Phoenician civilization developed along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the area now
called Lebanon. They were a trading society and needed a writing system to record their trade
agreements. Their most important achievement was the alphabet. Many modern languages,
including English, come from Phoenician writing.

The Hebrew civilization began in Mesopotamia. According to the Torah, (the holy scriptures of
Judaism) a man named Abraham made a covenant, or agreement, with God. Abraham promised
that the Jews would always obey God and in return God promised to always protect them.
Abraham was told by God to relocate to the area known as Palestine. For a time, the Jews were
enslaved in Egypt. They were led to freedom by the prophet Moses. This escape from slavery is
called the Exodus. Moses received the Ten Commandments from God and made them the basis
of Jewish law. A prophet is someone who receives messages from God. The Jewish religion was
the first to believe in one God. The belief in only one God is called monotheism.
Chapter 3 Early Religions
1. What does migration mean?
2. What technological advances gave the Hittites military superiority?
3. What are Vedas?
4. What were the 4 social classes in the Aryan Caste System?
5. How was a person’s caste determined?
6. Define reincarnation.
7. Define karma.
8. How do the concepts of karma and dharma fit into the caste system?
9. Who was the founder of Buddhism?
10. What does the title “Buddha” mean?
11. List the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism.
12. What would you accomplish by following the 8 Fold Path?
13. Why would members of lower castes be more likely than members of higher castes to
convert to Buddhism?
14. How did Buddhism spread from India to Asia?
15. What civilization’s alphabet is the basis for the modern English alphabet?
16. Why did Abraham leave Mesopotamia and move to Palestine?
17. How was the Jewish religion different from earlier religions?
18. Describe the covenant between the Hebrews and their god.
19. What was the exodus?
20. What are the Ten Commandments?
21. What is the Torah?
Chapter 4 First Empires
The pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt stopped building pyramids because they were often
robbed. Instead, they hid their tombs in a secret place called the Valley of the Kings. Eventually
Egypt was conquered by outside invaders.

The Assyrians conquered all of Mesopotamia and built an empire through military strength and
cruelty. The Assyrians gathered records from the lands that they conquered and created a library in
the capital city of Nineveh on the Tigris River. This clay tablet library gives historians much
information about the ancient world. They also built huge multi-level pyramid temples called
ziggurats.

The Persian Empire in what is now Iran was ruled by King Darius. In order to control this huge
empire he divided the land into 20 provinces, each ruled by a governor called a satrap. Darius built
The Royal Road that ran 1,677 miles and made it easy to move goods and troops. He created the
world’s first standard monetary system.

At this time a new religion called Zoroasterianism developed. Zoroaster believed that earth is a
battleground between the god of truth and light and the god of lies and darkness. Each person
would be judged when they died on whether they’d lived their life for good or evil and face an
afterlife in heaven or hell.

After the Zhou Dynasty collapsed the Chinese values of social order, harmony, and respect for
leaders were lost. Filial Piety is the belief that you should honor and respect your parents and
ancestors. Confucius was a scholar who believed that traditional values could be restored if
people worked at five basic relationships necessary for social order:
1. ruler and subject
2. father and son
3. husband and wife
4. older and younger brother
5. friend and friend.
He also believed that government employees should be well educated.

Laozi was concerned with natural order. He believed that there is a force in nature called the Dao,
or “the Way”. The belief that order can be restored if people learn to be in touch with and live in
harmony with the Dao is known as Daoism. Yin and Yang is the idea harmony results from the
balance of opposites.

The Legalists believed that order could be restored by a strong leader and strict laws that
rewarded those who did their duty and punished those who did not. They also believed that the
government should control people’s ideas as well as their actions.

Emperor Shi Huangdi, which means “First Emperor”, used legalist ideas to rule China as an
absolute monarch with unlimited power. He had those who disagreed with him killed. He forced
the peasants to build the 5,000 mile long Great Wall of China to protect the country from invasion.
After his death, the Qin dynasty was overthrown and replaced with the Han dynasty.
Chapter 4 First Empires

1. Why did the Egyptians begin burying their Pharoahs in the “Valley of the Kings”?

2. How did the Assyrians build their empire?

3. What city was the Assyrian capital? What river was it near?

4. Why are the records from the library of Nineveh important to modern scholars?

5. What modern country was once Persia?

6. How did Darius unite his large empire?

7. Describe the religion of Zoroaster.

8. Name the 5 relationships identified by Confucius.

9. What is filial piety?

10. What type of order was Laotze concerned with?

11. Describe the philosophy of Legalism.

12. What is the concept of yin and yang?

13. What famous structure was constructed during Shi Huangdi’s reign as Emperor of the Qin

Dynasty?
Chapter 5 Greece
The lives of the ancient Greeks were shaped by geography. Greek society developed into small,
independent communities separated from each other by mountains and valleys. These natural
barriers made it difficult to unite the people. Greece lacked natural resources and farming was
difficult, so sea trade with other areas was very important.

Stories of Greek life at this time are recorded in two epic stories written by the poet Homer. The
Iliad tells the story of the war with Troy. The Odyssey tells the story of one man’s return from the
war. The Greeks developed a set of myths. Myths are traditional stories about the gods that
explained nature and human behavior. They believed that gods played an active role in people’s
lives.

The center of Greek life was the city-state. Each city-state was independent and created its own
type of government. A monarchy was ruled by a king. An aristocracy was ruled by an upper class
family. A democracy was ruled by the citizens. Athens was a direct democracy, a government in
which citizens rule directly by voting without representatives at outdoor, public meetings. Sparta
developed as a military state.

When the Persian Empire attacked Greece, several Greek city-states formed an alliance called the
Delian League. Greece won the Persian Wars.

Pericles ruled Athens for 32 years during its golden age. He had three main goals:

1. He wanted to make Athens more democratic.

2. He wanted to make Athens stronger.
3. He wanted to make Athens beautiful.

The Parthenon is a temple in Athens dedicated to the goddess Athena. As Athenians increased
their wealth and power, other city states became hostile toward them. Sparta and Athens fought
each other in the Peloponnesian War. Sparta won. After Athens’ defeat, the philosopher Socrates
began to question traditional values. He was convicted of treason and forced to drink poison. Other
philosophers were Plato and Aristotle.

Greece was conquered by Macedonia under the leadership of King Philip II. When Phillip died his
son Alexander the Great conquered Persia, Egypt and India and created a huge empire. Greek
culture spread into the areas he conquered. After his death the empire split into three parts.
The blending of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian societies created a new Hellenistic Culture.
The center of this culture was the city of Alexandria in Egypt which was named after Alexander the
Great. Its magnificent library contained everything known in the Hellenistic world. Math, science
and the arts flourished. Great Greek mathematicians and scientists include Pythagoras, Euclid,
Euripides and Archimedes.
Chapter 5 Greece
1. How did the geography of Greece affect the development of societies?
2. What are the Iliad and the Odyssey?
3. Who wrote them?
4. What was the purpose of the Greek Myths?
5. What is a monarchy?
6. What is an aristocracy?
7. What is a democracy?
8. Describe Athenian society.
9. Describe Spartan society.
10. What was the Delian League?
11. What were the 3 goals of Pericles?
12. Who fought the Peloponnesian War?
13. Who won?
14. What does the word philosopher mean?
15. Name 3 philosophers of ancient Greece.
16. Philip II was king of what area?
17. What areas were conquered by Alexander the Great?
18. What happened to Alexander’s empire after his death?
19. Hellenistic Culture was a blending of what 4 cultures?
20. What city was the cultural center of Hellenistic civilization?
21. For what are Euclid, Pythagoras and Archimedes known?
22. What was the Parthenon used for?
23. What does Nike mean?
24. Where did the Olympics begin?
Chapter 6 Rome
The Romans created a republic, a government in which the citizens elect their leaders. There
were 2 main groups in Roman society, the patricians, (wealthy landowners) and the plebeians,
(common people). The Romans created a written law code called The Twelve Tables that applied
to citizens in both groups. The senate was the law making branch of government whose members
were all patricians.

The Romans built an Empire through military force. The army was organized into groups called
legions. They fought the North African city of Carthage in the Punic Wars. Hannibal was a
Carthaginian general who invaded the Roman Empire by crossing the Alps with an army that
included war elephants. Rome won the Punic Wars, destroyed Carthage and controlled the land
around the Mediterranean Sea.

After a civil war, Julius Caesar governed Rome as an absolute ruler and made many reforms.
He was assassinated by members of the senate. After a civil war, Octavian became ruler. He took
the title Augustus, which means “exalted one.” This began a 200 year period of prosperity known
as the Pax Romana, (Latin for the “Roman Peace”). At its peak the Roman Empire covered more
than 3 million square miles, from Spain to Mesopotamia and from North Africa to Scotland.

A new religion called Christianity developed, based on the teachings of Jesus, which are found in
the Gospels. It includes many beliefs from the Jewish religion, including monotheism and the Ten
Commandments, however Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah predicted in Jewish
scripture. Jesus was arrested for defying the authority of Rome and executed for treason.

The Roman gods were similar to the Greek gods. Both Jews and Christians were persecuted
because they refused to worship them. The Jews were driven from Palestine in an event called the
Diaspora. The Jewish religion continued to exist, but there was no longer a Jewish political state.

In A.D. 312, Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity and ended the persecution of Christians.
In 330 he created a new capital in the city of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople. The
Western part of the Roman Empire collapsed because of internal problems (a large gap between
rich and poor) and barbarian invasions. Germanic tribes moved into Roman territory to escape the
Huns led by Attila. Mercenaries in the Roman army had no loyalty to the Empire. The eastern
part became the Byzantine Empire.

In A.D. 79 the city of Pompeii was covered in ash by a volcanic eruption. Historians have learned
about ancient Roman culture from the preserved ruins.

Romans were skilled engineers. They built an excellent system of roads and built aqueducts to
bring water into their cities. The language of the Romans was Latin, which developed into the
Romance languages. Rome’s most important contribution to modern society was its law. Some of
the most important principles of Roman law were:

All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law.
A person was considered innocent until proven guilty.
The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather than the accused.
A person should be punished only for actions, not thoughts.
Any law that seemed unreasonable could be changed.
Chapter 6 Rome
1. What is a Republic?
2. Who were the Patricians?
3. Who were the Plebeians?
4. What were the Twelve Tables?
5. What was the Senate?
6. What were the Roman Legions?
7. Where was Carthage?
8. Who fought the Punic Wars?
9. Who was Hannibal?
10. Who won the Punic Wars?
11. Who was Julius Caesar?
12. How did Julius Caesar’s political career end?
13. What title did Octavian use?
14. What does it mean?
15. What was the Pax Romana? How long did it last?
16. What were the boundaries of the Roman Empire?
17. Why was Jesus of Nazareth arrested and executed by the Romans?
18. Where are the life of Jesus and his teachings recorded?
19. The Roman gods were similar to the gods of what other society?
20. What was the Diaspora?
21. What city was the original capital of the Roman Empire?
22. Where did Constantine move it?
23. What did he name the new city?
24. How did the western part of the Empire fall?
25. What happened to the city of Pompeii in AD 79?
26. Why is the city of Pompeii important to historians?
27. What are Romance Languages?
28. What is an aqueduct?
29. What principles of the Roman legal system are included in the modern legal system of the
United States?
Chapter 10 Islam
Nomadic herders called Bedouins lived in the Arabian desert. In 620 Muhammad started a new
religion called Islam. He taught a belief in one God (Allah). Other groups believed in many gods
and worshipped them at a shrine called the Ka’aba in Mecca. Because the teachings of Islam were
not popular, Muhammad and his followers (Muslims) were forced to leave Mecca and traveled to
Medina. This trip is known as the Hijrah. Muhammad gathered more followers and returned to
Mecca. They took over the city by force. He destroyed the idols in the Ka’aba and made it into a
place to worship Allah.

All Muslims must perform certain duties called the Five Pillars of Islam:
1. state that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the last prophet.
2. pray to Allah, facing Mecca, five times every day.
3. give money to the poor
4. fast during the month of Ramadan.
5. travel to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their life (Hajj)

Muhammad's teachings are recorded in the Qu’ran. Arabic became the language of Islam because
Muslims believe that the word of God cannot be translated. Shari’a is Islamic law that regulates all
areas of Muslim life. Places of worship are mosques.
After Muhammad’s death, Abu-Bakr became the first caliph, (“successor”). The first four caliphs are
known as “rightly guided” caliphs because they had known Muhammad personally. The rightly
guided caliphs used jihad (war against non-Muslims) to expand their territory by force. By 750, the
Muslim Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indus River. The Muslim community
disagreed about how future caliphs should be chosen and split into 4 groups: Shi’ia, Sunni, Sufi and
Abbasid. The Abbasids came to power in 750 and made the Baghdad the capital of the empire.
They ruled until 1258. The 2 main divisions of Islam today are Shi’ia and Sunni.

Muslim society was divided into four social classes.

1. people who were Muslims from birth
2. people who convert to Islam
3. Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians
4. slaves

After the fall of Rome, Europe entered a period of upheaval, chaos and illiteracy. Muslim scholars
preserved the world’s knowledge in a combination library and academy in Baghdad called the
House of Wisdom where they translated many classical writings.

Muslim scholars made great advances in medicine, mathematics, science, astronomy and
literature. Muslims are forbidden to create images of living things so artists turned to the art of
beautiful handwriting, called calligraphy, geometric designs and to a distinctive type of architecture
that included domes, archways and minarets.

Islam spread across northern Africa because of the gold – salt trade route. The Kingdoms of
Ghana, Mali and Songhai were Muslim. Timbuktu was an important city.
Mansa Musa, Emperor of Mali, made the hajj to Mecca and gave away a fortune in gold along the
way.
Chapter 10 Islam
1. What is a Bedouin?
2. What is the Kaaba?
3. Define Allah.
4. Define Islam.
5. Define Muslim.
6. What is a prophet?
7. What is the Qur’an?
8. What was the hijrah?
9. How did Muhammad receive the information he began to teach?
10. List the Five Pillars of Islam.
11. What did Muhammad do at the Kaaba? Why?
12. In what language is the Qur’an written?
13. What is shari’a?
14. Who were the rightly guided caliphs?
15. What does jihad mean?
16. What was the reason for the split between Shi’ia, Sunni, Sufi and Abbasid.
17. What were the social groups of Islamic society?
18. How did the teachings of Islam influence the development of calligraphy?
19. What was the House of Wisdom?
20. Why did Mansa Musa go to Mecca?
21. What trade made the Empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai wealthy?
Chapter 11 & 8 Africa

Chapter 11 & 8 Africa

Chapter 13 Middle Ages
The collapse of the Roman Empire changed Europe in 3 important ways:

1. Trade stopped because it was too dangerous

2. Cities became less important as centers of trade and government
3. population shifted from city to country and people returned to farming

Most people were illiterate (unable to read and write). Latin, the language of the Romans,
developed into the various Romance Languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian,
Italian). Europe no longer had a single language.
In 732 Muslims from Spain invaded Europe but were defeated at the Battle of Tours by Charles
Martel. This was important because Europe remained Christian and did not become part of the
Muslim Empire. Martel’s grandson, Charlemagne (“Charles the Great”) became the most powerful
king in Europe. Pope Leo III crowned him “Roman Emperor”. This united the German kingdoms,
the Christian church and the tradition of the Roman Empire.
Between 800 and 1000, Europe was invaded from all directions by Vikings, Magyars and Muslims.
With no strong central government in Rome, people relied on local leaders for protection. A political
system called Feudalism developed. At the top was the king. Beneath him were church officials
and nobles. Next were knights, and beneath them, serfs. A landowner was called a lord, his land
was called the manor. People who were given fiefs (gifts of land) were called vassals. In return
for the land they provided protection from invaders. The peasants who worked on the manor were
called serfs. The manor system was an economic arrangement. The lord provided housing and
protection to his serfs in exchange for their work.
Nobles often fought each other for land. Knights were mounted soldiers who did the fighting. The
saddle and stirrup were important technological military advances. Knights had to follow a set of
rules known as the Code of Chivalry.
The Roman Catholic Church became the most important force in European society. The head of
the church was the Pope. The Middle Ages were an Age of Faith, when people were bound
together by their belief in God and the teachings of the Church. The serfs believed that although
their lives were hard, they would be rewarded in heaven after they died. Church officials were
among the few literate people in society. Monasteries are religious communities where Monks
preserved the world’s knowledge in libraries filled with illuminated manuscripts. The monk
Benedict wrote a book of rules for monastic life. The authority of the Pope began to include
secular (worldly) as well as spiritual matters. The Church developed rules called canon law that
included the administration of rites called sacraments (baptism, communion, marriage, funeral
masses, etc.). Excommunication meant an individual was not allowed to be a member of the
church. Interdiction was a severe punishment in which no sacraments were allowed in a king’s
lands. This meant all the king’s subjects would go to hell when they died. Popes and kings were
often in conflict over who could appoint church officials. Lay investiture was the practice of kings
and nobles appointing bishops. At the Concordat of Worms a compromise was reached that only
the church could appoint bishops, but the appointment had to be approved by the emperor.

The Eastern part of the Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire, named after the city of
Byzantium, which became Constantinople and is now Istanbul. Emperor Justinian converted
Roman Law into the Justinian Code, a single, unified set of laws. The Hagia Sophia (church of
Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople is an example of Byzantine architecture.
Chapter 13 Middle Ages
1. What years in European history are considered the Middle Ages?
2. How did the collapse of the Roman Empire affect European society?
3. What does illiterate mean?
4. Name the romance languages.
5. Why are the romance languages called that?
6. How did government and leadership change during the Middle Ages?
7. What happened at the Battle of Tours?
8. Who was Charlemagne?
9. What did the coronation of Charlemagne signify?
10. Why did the Feudal System begin?
11. What were the levels of the Feudal Pyramid?
12. What was the lord/vassal relationship?
13. What was the manor system?
14. What new technology made fighting on horseback possible?
15. What was the Code of Chivalry?
16. Which religion become most influential and important in Europe?
17. What are monasteries? What did Benedict do?
18. What does secular mean?
19. Who is the Pope?
20. What are sacraments
21. What is excommunication
22. What is interdiction?
23. What is lay investiture?
24. What happened at the Concordat of Worms?
Chapter 14 Western Europe
The years 800 to 1500 in Europe are known as The Age of Faith. People were united by their
belief in God and the teachings of the Catholic Church. A new religious group called friars was
formed. Unlike monks, who stayed in monasteries, friars moved from place to place to spread the
teachings of the church. Enormous churches called cathedrals were built in a new style of
architecture called Gothic with high towers and stained glass windows.

Christians regained control of Spain from the Muslims during the Reconquista. The Inquisition
was a religious court used to identify heretics (people who held beliefs different from the teachings
of the church).

For over 100 years European Christians tried unsuccessfully to take control of the Holy Land of
Jerusalem by fighting religious wars called the Crusades. Although ultimately the Muslims kept
control of Jerusalem, the Crusades had 3 important results in Europe:

1. the Pope and the Catholic Church lost influence

2. the nobles lost power and the feudal system was weakened
3. trade between Europe and the far East increased.

Farmers produced more and better crops by using the three field system. They only planted two-
thirds of their fields, leaving one area unused to refresh the soil. Farmers began to use horses
instead of oxen to plow their fields. Guilds were organizations of people in the same occupation or
business. Most buying and selling took place in town market places during fairs. Changes in the
way people traded and banked are called the commercial revolution. Cities grew in size.
After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, took control of
England. In 1215 King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, (the Great Charter) a document
that limited the king’s power and granted rights to the nobles.

The Great Schism occurred when two men were named Pope at the same time. From 1337 to
1453, France and England fought the Hundred Years’ War. The longbow was a new weapon that
ended the era of the dominance of mounted knights. Joan of Arc led the French to victory. After
the French victory, Joan was captured by the English and executed as a heretic. The Hundred
Years’ War produced strong feelings of nationalism (pride in your own country) in France and
England that united the people. The king began to be regarded as the leader of the entire nation,
not just a local area.

The Bubonic Plague, a disease spread by rat fleas, killed about one-third of the population of
Europe. Trade declined, prices rose, and towns became smaller. The Church lost influence.
Peasants began to revolt against their lords. Fewer people caused an increased demand for
workers. Many serfs escaped from the manors to work in cities and eventually became free.

The Bubonic Plague and the Commercial Revolution led to the end of the manor system. The
great schism weakened the influence of the church. The Crusades & Hundred Years’ War led to
end of the feudal system.
Chapter 14 Western Europe
1. What does Age of Faith mean?

2. What is the difference between a monk & a friar?

3. What was the Reconquista?

4. What was the Inquisition?

5. What is a heretic?

6. What was the goal of the Crusades?

7. What were 3 important results of the Crusades.

8. What was the three field system?

9. What was the Commercial Revolution?

10. What was the result of the 1066 Battle of Hastings?

11. What was the Magna Carta?

12. What was the Great Schism?

13. What was the decisive weapon of the Hundred Years War?

14. Who won the Hundred Years War?

15. How did the Hundred Years War bring an end to the Age of Chivalry?

16. How did the Catholic Church lose prestige during the Middle Ages?

17. Who fought in the Hundred Years’ War?

18. What did Joan of Arc do?

19. What are guilds?

20. What is nationalism?

21. What is architecture?