1. Europe After Rome II Middle Ages
SOL Quiz 18
Europe After Rome II
Middle Ages

2. 1. Feudalism arose in Western Europe because
a. Charlemagne desired it
b. commerce revived
c. there was a need for law and order
d. the pope promoted it
Feudalism arose in Western Europe because there was a need for law and order. During the period A.D., Europe experienced many wars and invasions. During this period rulers had to depend on local lords to defend their lands because transportation was so poor. By the 9th century A.D., a class of mounted warriors called knights had developed. These knights were given land in exchange for their military service to a ruler. This system of exchanging land for military service is called feudalism.

3. 2. The fief was an important basis for feudalism because it was the
a. obligation owed by a serf to a lord
b. military service performed by a knight
c. tax levied by a king on a noble
d. land given by a lord to a vassal
The fief was the land given by a lord to a vassal in return for military service. The vassal promised to defend his lord against attack. The fief included land and all of the people living on it. Therefore, peasants living on land given by a lord to a vassal had to perform services for the vassal, who was now their new lord.

4. 3. Which statement about feudalism in Europe is CORRECT?
a. The feudal manor was self-sufficient.
b. The feudal system provided a strong central government.
c. Feudal lords were chosen by the Catholic Church.
d. Trade was encouraged by feudal nobles.
The correct statement is that the feudal manor was self-sufficient. The almost constant warfare during the period A.D. led to the development of the feudal manor. The manor was the estate which belonged to the lord. The decline of trade and towns during this period meant that nearly all food, tools, and clothing had to be produced on the manor.

5. 4. What position did serfs have in feudal society?
a. They were slaves and could be bought and sold by their lords.
b. They often could rise in class to become nobles.
c. They could not leave the manor without the permission of
their lords.
d. They owned the lands on which they worked.
Serfs could not be bought and sold like slaves, but they also could not leave the manor without the permission of their lord. The lands on which they worked belonged to the lord of the manor. Nobles looked upon themselves as being superior to the serfs they ruled, and no serf could hope to become a noble.

6. 5. What was a result of the Crusades?
a. European conquest of the Middle East
b. fall of the Byzantine Empire
c. growth of trade with the Middle East
d. rise of Charlemagne's empire
One result of the Crusades was the growth of European commerce. Europeans who joined the Crusades were introduced to products like silk, spices, and precious stones. The demand for these luxury goods by wealthy Europeans helped to revive trade. Although the First Crusade succeeded in capturing Palestine, that land was recaptured by the Muslims a century later. Although several other Crusades were sent into the Middle East, they all failed.