Unit 5: Medieval Europe

Vocab Cards

The Middle Ages are a time period in European history from 500-1450.

The 'Middle Ages' are called this because it is the time between the fall of Imperial Rome and the beginning of the Early modern Europe. This period of time is also known as the Medieval Age or the Dark Ages because of the fall of education. During much of this time, Europe consisted of many small kingdoms that fought each other.

Charlemagne was the king of the Franks who started the Holy Roman Empire.

Charlemagne built the greatest European empire since ancient Rome, and he ruled most of Europe by 800. He made a very organized, well-run empire, establishing new laws, enlisting powerful governors, and traeling throughout the kingdom to make sure they ruled justly. Through numerous conquests throughout Europe, Charlemagne, being a very religious man, spread Christianity, further strengthening the religion.

A Monastery was a place where monks practiced a life of prayer and worship.

Monasteries arose during the Middle Ages. In them, monks studied Christian works and made copies of the Bible to preserve and promote Christianity.

Feudalism is a system of land ownership and duties based on an agreement between two groups of nobles-lords and vassals. It was used in the Middle Ages.

Under feudalism, all the land in a kingdom was the king's. However, the king would give some of the land to the lords or nobles who fought for him. These presents of land were called manors.

A lord was a strong noble who owned land.

Lords gave some of their land to vassals. The vassals then had to do duties for the nobles. The lands of vassals were called fiefs. In return, vassals owed his lord service in court and army. Many were warriors known as knights, and they fought on behalf of their lord. Vassals that weren't knights hired knights to protect the lord and his property. Vassals also paid taxes to the lord in return for the fief.

Serfs were people who lived and worked on a lord's or vassal's land.

Most peasants in the feudal society were serfs. In return for their work on the land, nobles granted serfs shelter and protection.

A fief was a piece of land that a lord gave a vassal in exchange for loyalty and protection from enemies.

Vassals would build upon this land to create their own housing.