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Life in the UK > A long and illustrious history: The Middle Ages > Flashcards

A long and illustrious history: The Middle Ages Flashcards

1
Q

What did the Middle Ages/Medieval Period span?

A

About 1000 years, from end of Roman Empire in 476AD to 1485AD.

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2
Q

THIS BIT FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON THE PERIOD AFTER THE NORMAN CONQUEST

A

IT OFFICIALLY ENDED IN 1075

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3
Q

Who did the English kings fight with and why?

A

Welsh, Scottish, and Irish noblemen for their lands.

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4
Q

The English were able to establish their rule in Wales. What is the Statute of Rhuddlan? Who introduced it, and when?

A

1284 King Edward I. It annexed Wales to the Crown of England.

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5
Q

What was built to maintain the power of the Statute of Rhuddlan?

A

Huge castles, including Conwy and Caernarvon.

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6
Q

By when were the last Welsh rebellions defeated? What did the English do as a result?

A

By the middle of the 15th century. English laws and the English language were introduced.

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7
Q

In Scotland, the English kings were less successful. What happened at the Battle of Bannockburn, and when?

A

In 1314 the Scottish, led by Robert the Bruce, defeated the English, and Scotland remained unconquered by the English.

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8
Q

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Ireland was an independent country. Why did the English send troops, and why did they remain?

A

Sent to help the Irish king and remained to build their own settlements.

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9
Q

By 1200, the English ruled an area of Ireland known as what?

A

The Pale, around Dublin.

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10
Q

During the Middle Ages, the English kings also fought a number of wars abroad. What are these?

A

The Crusades and the Hundred Years War.

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11
Q

What were the Crusades?

A

Eurpean Christians fought for control of the Holy Land.

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12
Q

What was the Hundred Years War? How long did it last?

A

A war with France, 116 years.

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13
Q

What was one of the most famous battles in the Hundred Years War? When did it happen, what what occured?

A

Battle of Agincourt in 1415. King Henry V’s vastly outnumbered the English army and defeated the French.

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14
Q

When did the English leave France?

A

They had mostly left France in the 1450s.

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15
Q

What is Feudalism?

A

The king gave land to his lords in return for help in the war. Landowners had to send certain numbers of men to serve in the army. Some peasants had their own land but most were serfs. They had a small area of their lord’s land where they could grow food. In return, they had to work for their lord and could not move away.

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16
Q

What is a serf?

A

An agricultural labourer bound by the feudal system who was tied to working on his lord’s estate.

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17
Q

Scotland and Ireland had a similar system, but the land was owned by whom?

A

Members of the “clans” - aka prominent families.

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18
Q

What is the Black Death and when did it happen?

A
  1. It was a disease, probably a form of a plague.
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19
Q

How many people died in England as a result of the Black Death?

A

One third of the population, and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales.

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20
Q

The smaller population meant there was less need to grow what?

A

Cereal crops.

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21
Q

The smaller population meant there were labour shortages, and peasants demanded higher wages. What happened because of this?

A

New social classes appeared, including owners of large areas of land. People left the countryside to live in towns. In towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class.

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22
Q

What is the gentry?

A

Large areas of land.

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23
Q

What happened in Ireland because of the Black Death that reduced English control?

A

Many people in Pale were killed.

24
Q

In the Middle Ages, Parliament began to develop into the institution it is today. Where can its origins be traced to?

A

The King’s council of advisers, which included important nobleman and leaders of the Church.

25
Q

There were few formal limits to the king’s power until when? What happened to change this?

A
  1. King John was forced by his nobleman to agree to a number of demands, including creating the Magna Carta.
26
Q

What is the Magna Carta? What does it mean?

A

It means “Great Charter”. It established the idea that even the king was subject to the law. It protected the rights of the nobility and restricted the king’s power to collect taxes, or to make or change laws. In the future, the king would need to involve his nobleman in decisions.

27
Q

Why were parliaments called for the king to consult his nobles?

A

Particularly when the king needed to raise money.

28
Q

The numbers attending Parliament increased and two separate parts, known as Houses, were established. What are their names, and what were they made up of?

A

House of Lords and House of Commons.

29
Q

What is the House of Lords made up of?

A

House of Lords was made up of nobility, great landowners, and bishops.

30
Q

What is the House of Commons made up of?

A

House of Commons was made up of knights and smaller landowners, and wealthy people - Commons people were elected by a small number of the population.

31
Q

A similar Parliament developed in Scotland. How was it different?

A

It had three Houses, called Estates: The Lords, the Commons, and the Clergy.

32
Q

This was also a time of development in the legal system. The principle that judges are independent from the government began to be established. In England, what did judges develop?

A

Common Law.

33
Q

What is “Common Law”?

A

It is the body of law derived from judicial decisions of courts and similar tribunals, previously set by precedence and tradition.

34
Q

In Scotland, the legal system developed differently - how?

A

They were “codified” (written down).

35
Q

The Middle Ages saw the development of a national cultural and identity. After the Norman Conquest, the king and his mates spoke Norman French, and the peasants had continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. What language did these two combined create?

A

An English language.

36
Q

“Park” and “beauty” in modern English are based on which of these two?

A

Norman French words.

37
Q

“Summer”, “apple”, and “cow” in modern English are based on which of these two?

A

Anglo-Saxon words.

38
Q

In modern English there are often two words with similar meaning, one from French and one from Anglo Saxon. What are some examples?

A

“Demand” from French and “Ask” from AngloSaxon.

39
Q

What happened regarding the English language by 1400AD?

A

Official documents were being written in England, and English had become the preferred language of the royal court and Parliament.

40
Q

In the years leading up to 1400, what did Geoffrey Chaucer do?

A

He wrote a The Canterbury Tales.

41
Q

What are the Canterbury Tales? What is significant about it?

A

A series of poems in English about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. The people tell each other stories on the journey and the poems describe the travelers and some of the stories they told. Some of the stories are still told today and have been made into plays and television programs.

42
Q

Who is William Caxton, and what is his relationship to the Canterbury Tales?

A

He is thought to be the first person to introduce a printing press into England, in 1476. The book was one of the first to be printed by William using a printing press.

43
Q

What language was being spoken in Scotland around this time?

A

Gaelic but the Scots language was developing.

44
Q

A number of pets began to write in the Scots language. One example poem was written about the Battle of Bannockburn - what was it called and who was it written by?

A

“The Bruce” written by John Barbour.

45
Q

The Middle Ages also saw a change in the type of buildings in Britain. Castles were built in many places in Britain and Ireland, party for defence. Many are in ruins, but which one are still in use today?

A

Windsor and Edinburgh.

46
Q

Great Cathedrals were also built, many of these still used for worship. What is an example of one of these?

A

Lincoln Cathedral

47
Q

Several of the cathedrals had windows of stained glass, which told stories about what? What is a famous example?

A

The Bible and Christian saints. The glass in York Minster.

48
Q

During this period, England was an important trading nation. What became a very important export?

A

English wool.

49
Q

People came to England came from abroad to trade and to work, many of which had special skills. Where were these people from, and what skills did they have?

A

France - Weavers
Germany - Engineers
Italy - Glass manufacturers
Holland - Canal Builders

50
Q

What is The War of the Roses? When did it occur?

A
  1. It was a civil war to decide who should be king of England.
51
Q

Who fought in the War of the Roses?

A

Supporters of two families, house of Lancaster and House of York.

52
Q

Why was it called the War of the Roses?

A

The symbol of the Lancaster family was a red rose, and the symbol of York was a white rose.

53
Q

When and how did the war end?

A

The war ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

54
Q

What happened at the Battle of Bosworth Field?

A

King Richard III of York was killed in battle and Henry Tudor, leader of Lancast, became King Henry VII.

55
Q

What was Henry VII the first king of?

A

House of Tudor.

56
Q

What is the House of Tudor’s symbol; what did it represent?

A

Red rose with a white rose inside it. It showed that York and Lancaster were now allies.

Life in the UK (8 decks)

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