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The Late Middle Ages,
​c. 1200-1450

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​The Late ​Middle Ages,

​c. 1200-1450 CE

Contents


  • Introduction

  • ​Note on Key Terms

               A. The Medieval Christian Church

               B. Feudal Society
​​
               C. Late Medieval Conflicts


  • Medieval Europe Slideshow
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Introduction

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Medieval Europe: Crash Course European History #1
AP European History really starts with The Renaissance around 1450 AD, but believe it or not, that is not the actual beginning of history in the continent! A survey of conditions in Europe just prior to when our story begins is helpful. Learn about the broad outlines of the so-called Middle Ages, and look at events like the Black Plague, the Hundred Years War, and the Western Schism of the Catholic Church that set the stage for the history of modern Europe.
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Note on Key Terms

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Learn the terms listed below regarding The Medieval Christian Church, Feudal Society, and Late Medieval Conflicts. 

  • Know the basic identifiers "Who/what, where, and when?"

  • Understand “How did it make a difference?” (causes and course of the event)
    ​
  • Be able to explain “Why is it significant?” (short- and long-term impacts)​

  • Study the embedded Quizlets.
    • The first Quizlet includes a comprehensive set of major key terms to know.
    • The second Quizlet is an abridged set reduced to the most essential key terms to know. These terms are bolded below in each list.

  • Each key term is hyperlinked to Wikipedia if you want to learn more.

The Medieval Christian Church

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Gloucester Cathedral, England was built between 1089 and 1499 CE. The stained glass windows date from 1350 CE.
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cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral, England
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stigmatization of Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order of monks and one of Christianity's most admired figures
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Jan Hus is considered the first Church reformer. He was burned at the stake for heresy against the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.
Article: From the Roman Empire to the Roman Catholic Church
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  • Abrahamic religions
  • monotheism
  • Abraham
Judaism
  • Jews
  • Hebrews
  • Moses
  • Exodus
  • Covenant
  • Ten Commandments
  • Torah
  • Israel
  • Jerusalem
  • Great Jewish Revolt
  • Jewish Diaspora
Christianity
  • Jesus of Nazareth
  • messiah
  • Paul
  • Peter
  • Constantine
  • Theodosius
  • missionary
  • Latin Christendom
  • Bible
  • Jewish Old Testament
  • Christian New Testament
  • Gospels
  • Nicene Creed
  • Holy Trinity
  • Roman Catholic Church
  • Ambrose
  • Augustine of Hippo
  • Jerome
  • Pope Gregory I
  • Eastern Orthodox Church
  • Basil of Caesarea
  • monasticism
  • heresy
  • Gregory of Nazianzus
  • John Chrysostom
  • clergy
  • laity
  • bishop
  • pope
  • patriarch
  • priest
  • sacraments
  • baptism
  • Dominicans
  • Franciscans
  • excommunication
  • interdict
  • universities
  • Scholasticism
  • Thomas Aquinas
  • pilgrimage
  • relic
  • Romanesque cathedrals
  • Gothic cathedrals
  • flying buttress
  • Great Schism
  • Investiture Contest
  • Pope Innocent III
  • Crusades
  • Holy Land
  • Constantinople
  • Fourth Crusade
  • Byzantine Empire
  • ​Inquisition
  • Philip IV of France
  • Babylonian Captivity
  • Great Western Schism
  • John Wycliffe
  • Jan Hus
The Medieval Christian Church (comprehensive)
The Medieval Christian Church (abridged)

Feudal Society

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Serfs preparing fields for winter from the The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry, c.1410
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A 13th century French representation of the tripartite social order of the middle ages – Oratores: "those who pray", Bellatores: "those who fight", and Laboratores: "those who work".
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tournament of knights from the Codex Manesse
  • Great Chain of Being
  • Three Estates
  • feudalism
  • aristocracy
  • vassal
  • fief
  • knight
  • chivalry
  • tournament
  • troubadours
  • Dante Alighieri
  • Geoffrey Chaucer
  • vernacular languages 
  • manorialism
  • serfdom
  • commons
  • folk culture
  • artisanal production
  • Little Ice Age
  • Great Famine
  • Black Death
  • common law
  • Magna Carta
  • English Parliament
  • House of Lords
  • House of Commons
  • French Estates-General
Article: ​What cracked up medieval peasants? Killer bunnies and poop jokes, apparently.
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Feudal Society (comprehensive)
Feudal Society (abridged)

Late Medieval Conflicts

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The medieval walled city of Carcassone overlooked the surrounding countryside and protected trade routes through the south of France.
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Nicopolis, the last great battle of the Crusades
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Joan of Arc depicted on horseback in an illustration from a 1504 manuscript
  • Philip II Augustus
  • Hundred Years' War
  • Plantagenet dynasty
  • Valois dynasty
  • longbow
  • battle of Agincourt
  • Joan of Arc
  • battle of Orleans
  • War of the Roses
  • Vikings
  • Normans
  • William the Conqueror of Normandy
  • Magyars
  • Kievan Rus
  • Mongol Golden Horde
  • Alexander Nevsky
  • Grand Prince Ivan III of Muscovy
  • Seljuk Turks
  • battle of Manzikert
  • Osman I
  • Ottoman Turkish Empire
  • battle of Kosovo
  • battle of Nicopolis
Article: ​​The Hundred Years’ War: England & France’s Most Intense Rivalry
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Article: ​​5 Key Battles of the Hundred Years’ War
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Article: ​​The Battle of Agincourt: England’s Greatest Victory
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Article: The Battle of Poitiers: The Decimation of French Nobility
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Article: ​​Here’s What Made Joan of Arc a French Heroine
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Late Medieval Conflicts (comprehensive)
Late Medieval Conflicts (abridged)

Medieval Europe Slideshow

Medieval Europe and the Judeo-Christian Tradition from Dave Phillips
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Resources:

Barron's AP European History Flashcards, Second Edition​

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  • acc. PHILLIPS
  • America
    • Introduction
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      • Essential Documents
    • 1492-1754
      • Colonization
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      • Revolution
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    • 1898-1945
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    • 1945-1991
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      • The Late Cold War
    • 1991-Today
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      • The War on Terror
  • Europe
    • Introduction
    • 1200-1450
    • 1450-1648
      • Renaissance
      • Reformation
      • Exploration
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    • 1648-1815
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      • Commerce
      • Reason
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    • Ancient
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      • Introduction
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      • 1200-1450
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