Ch. 14 Flashcards
Three-Field System
Cause: Population growth in medieval Europe, Insufficiency of traditional farming practices, Need for increased agricultural productivity
Def: Agricultural technique replacing traditional fallow-based farming;
Division of land into three fields;
Cultivation of crops on two-thirds of the land annually; Rotation of crops, including oats for soil restoration and food production
Impact: Increased agricultural productivity;
Support for population growth;
Expansion of agricultural settlements;
Environmental impacts (forest clearing, swamp draining);
Decline in crop yields and food scarcity;
Great Famine of 1315–1317;
Black Death’s demographic impact and changes in labor and land use practices
Black Death
Cause: Spread through rats and fleas by trade and travel; originated in Central Asia
Def: A deadly disease that led to a plague
Impact: Labor shortages led to higher wages and changed labor practices; Workers demanded better conditions, leading to revolts; Increased interest in disease prevention and quarantine; Plague spared livestock and game, providing meat and leather.
Hanseatic League
Cause: The Hanseatic League was created in response to the need for cooperation and mutual support among independent towns in northern Germany
Def: Economic and defensive alliance of free towns in northern Germany; 1241 - 14th century; Aimed to enhance trade, protect against threats, and assert independence
Impact: Facilitated trade and economic growth; Provided collective security against piracy and external threats; Fostered cultural exchange and spread of ideas; Had its own legal system and negotiated treaties
Guilds
Cause: Guilds emerged to regulate and control various trades, ensuring quality craftsmanship, fair pricing, and the protection of their members’ interests.
Def: Powerful medieval associations in towns and cities; Regulated trade, set prices, trained apprentices, and advocated for members’ interests.
Impact: Maintained trade quality and pricing standards
Gothic Cathedrals
Cause: Built to showcase prestige of cities and religious institutions;
Def: Monumental religious structures emerging around 1140 in France
Impact: Introduced pointed arches, flying buttresses, and stained glass;
Universities
Cause: Renaissance of learning in the twelfth century, especially in cities
Def: Educational institutions during the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Impact: Quickened intellectual and artistic life in the mid-fourteenth century; Played a central role in cultural and intellectual revival
Scholasticism
Cause: Theology’s prominence in the curriculum of universities
Def: Thirteenth-century philosophical and theological system
Impact: Emphasized compatibility of Christian beliefs with reason; Attempts to ban Aristotle from university curricula; Medieval universities had freedom to embrace new ideas
Humanists
Cause: Dante’s influence and a desire to revive the Greco-Roman tradition buried by centuries of decay
Def: A literary and intellectual movement originating in mid-fourteenth-century Florence
Impact: Introduced a curriculum centered on Greco-Roman languages and literature, shaping European secondary education; Printing press made humanist critical editions widely available; Emphasized mastery of Latin and Greek for elegance and reverence
Printing Press
Cause: Technological developments in Europe, including movable type and ink improvements.
Def: Revolutionary technology enabling mass production of printed materials.
Impact: Led development in Mainz, Germany; Facilitated dissemination of Renaissance literature and ideas; Increased book availability and accessibility
Great Western Schism
Cause: Dispute over papal authority and legitimacy
Def: Division within the Latin Christian Church (1378-1415) with rival papal claimants in Avignon and Rome
Impact: Rival popes in Avignon and Rome caused division among Christians; Papacy eventually regained independence and returned to Rome; Weakened papal authority against rising monarchs
Magna Carta
Cause: King John of England faced challenges to his authority, including disputes with nobles and acknowledgment of the Pope as overlord
Def: The Magna Carta, or “Great Charter,” is a historic document signed in 1215 in England
Impact: affirmed that monarchs were subject to established law and not above it; it confirmed the independence of the church and the city of London; It became a foundation for later principles of constitutional law and individual rights
Leonardo di Caprio
Cause: Born during the Italian Renaissance, a period of intense artistic and intellectual activity that fostered creativity and innovation across disciplines
Def: A renowned Italian Renaissance polymath, painter, inventor, and visionary genius known for his contributions to art, science, engineering, and various other fields
Impact: Pioneered scientific research and inventions; Contributed to architectural designs;
Erasmus
Cause: Active during the Renaissance, a period of intellectual and artistic revival that encouraged the rediscovery of classical texts and the exchange of ideas
Def: a Dutch scholar, priest, and humanist, was a leading figure of the Renaissance. He is known for his contributions to the fields of classical and Biblical scholarship, as well as his influential writings on moral philosophy
Impact: Contributions tot he fields of classical and Biblical scholarship, as well as his influential writings on moral philosophy; Played a significant role in the humanist movement by collaborating with printers;
Hundred Years’ War
Cause: When the French royal line failed to produce male heirs, King Edward III of England claimed the French throne in 1337.
Def: a prolonged conflict between the kings of France and the kings of England that lasted from 1337 to 1453.
Impact: Heavier armor provided protection but restricted a knight’s mobility; Firearms; knight dominated –> long range;
Reconquest of Iberi
Cause: Desire for material gains, including farmland, cities, and ports
Def: Long process of Christian kingdoms in Spain and Portugal reclaiming territory from Muslim rule
Impact: Established to identify and punish converted Jews (Marranos) and Muslims (Moriscos); Sponsored Christopher Columbus’s first voyage;
