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WorksheetsChapter 21: King John, Henry III, Frederick Great & more
Total questions: 148
Worksheet time: 1hrs 14mins
The High Middle Ages spanned which centuries?
9th–11th centuries
11th–13th centuries
13th–15th centuries
10th–12th centuries
What major conflict did the pope call for during this period?
A war against England
A war against the Holy Roman Emperor
A crusade to capture Jerusalem
A revolt against France
What was the system of government in the High Middle Ages?
Democracy
Monarchy only
Feudalism
Theocracy
What was a tithe?
A tax owed to the king
A 10% tax to the church on produce
A fee peasants paid for rent
A penalty for disobedience
Who ordered the creation of the Domesday Book?
Richard I
John I
Henry II
William I
What was the purpose of the Domesday Book?
Record of births and deaths
Record of land ownership and taxes owed
A history of kings
List of military conquests
Why did peasants often keep animals inside their homes at night?
For warmth
To protect them from theft and wild animals
To sell them quickly
To use them for cooking
What was the common peasant breakfast called?
Gruel
Pottage (a thick stew)
Broth
Wheat porridge
What farming process involved beating stems and husks to remove seeds?
Sowing
Reaping
Threshing
Plowing
Why was feudalism not beneficial to peasants?
They received too much land
They had little chance to rise socially
They had no taxes
They were free to move between lords
What were guilds?
Groups of nobles allied to the king
Organized groups of workers who set standards and protected members
Secret societies of knights
Religious orders
Which of the following was a benefit of guilds?
Protection from high taxes and rents
Regulation of product quality and prices
Care for sick and orphans
Education support
What was the progression within craft guilds?
Lord → Knight → Master
Farmer → Worker → Noble
Apprentice → Journeyman → Master
Servant → Soldier → Priest
What were “universitas”?
Feudal taxes
Castles
Scholastic guilds (early universities)
Merchant associations
Which was one of the earliest universities that adopted a charter protecting scholars’ rights?
Oxford
Bologna
Cambridge
Cologne
The University of Paris gained recognition after:
The pope gave approval
Masters and students threatened to leave Paris, pressuring the king
A guild bought land for them
Richard I financed it
Richard I was also known as:
Richard the Cruel
Richard the Bold
Richard the Lionheart
Richard the Wise
Which three kings led the Third Crusade?
Richard I of England
Philip II of France
Barbarossa of Germany
Henry II of England
What was the result of the Treaty of Jaffa?
Christians conquered Jerusalem
Jerusalem was destroyed
Christians were given free access to Jerusalem, but not ownership
Muslims surrendered the Holy Land
How did Richard I die?
In Jerusalem
Poisoned by a rival
Struck by a crossbow bolt in France
Executed by Saladin
Who disputed John’s succession to the throne?
Philip II’s son
Arthur of Brittany
Richard’s daughter
The pope
What happened to Arthur of Brittany?
He became king
He was released by John
His fate is a mystery, but he likely was assassinated
He fled to France
What action by John caused conflict with Pope Innocent III?
He raised taxes on the clergy
He appointed his own archbishop instead of the pope’s choice
He banned tithes
He refused to fight in a crusade
What was the Magna Carta?
A peace treaty with France
A legal charter limiting the power of the king
A papal decree
The Domesday Book
Which right was included in Magna Carta?
The king’s authority over the pope
Fair trials for all
Limits on unfair taxes
Non-interference with the church
What was the main purpose of Magna Carta when it was created in 1215?
To abolish monarchy in England
To guarantee free land for peasants
To limit the power of King John
To promote trade with France
Which Pope declared Magna Carta illegal after King John appealed to him?
Pope Gregory VII
Pope Innocent III
Pope Urban II
Pope Boniface VIII
What happened to King John shortly after Prince Louis of France invaded England?
He was captured and executed
He contracted dysentery and died
He fled to Normandy and lived in exile
He surrendered the crown to Louis
Who persuaded crusaders during the Fourth Crusade to attack Constantinople instead of the Holy Land?
Pope Innocent III
Venetian traders
Byzantine emperors
Muslim leaders
What was the Catholic Church’s weapon against heresy in the 13th century?
Magna Carta
The Inquisition
The Parliament of Oxford
The Fourth Crusade
The Cathars (or Albigensians) believed that:
Good was spiritual and evil was physical
Jesus never existed
The Pope was divine
Rome should be destroyed
Who became King of England after John’s death in 1216?
Richard II
Henry III
Edward I
William II
During Henry III’s reign, which famous building was rebuilt in the Gothic style?
Canterbury Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
Westminster Abbey
York Minster
Simon de Montfort led a rebellion against Henry III and established what important body?
The Royal Council
The Inquisition
The English Parliament
The House of Lords
Why did Henry III attack Poitou in Western France?
To punish the French king
To reclaim his ancestors’ territory
To secure trade routes
To gain control of wine country
How did the barons respond to Henry’s attempt to raise taxes for the Poitou campaign?
They eagerly supported him
They ignored him
They used Magna Carta to deny him the taxes
They raised their own army
Why was attacking Poitou a disastrous idea?
The French king was personally leading the army
Poitou was heavily fortified
The French king was the brother of the Count of Poitou
Henry had no allies
Whom did Henry turn to for help during the crisis at Poitou?
His half-brother William de Valence
The Pope
Simon de Montfort
Richard, Duke of Cornwall
What role did Simon de Montfort play during Henry’s retreat at Poitou?
He abandoned Henry and fled
He fought a desperate rear-guard action
He surrendered to the French king
He negotiated peace
What bold thing did Simon de Montfort say to Henry after the defeat?
He compared Henry to King John
He called Henry worse than Charles the Simple
He demanded Henry abdicate
He told Henry to flee to Rome
Why couldn’t Henry punish Simon for his harsh words?
Simon had papal protection
Henry needed an aristocratic ally
The French king intervened
The barons threatened rebellion
What gift did Henry give Simon de Montfort to repair their friendship?
The title of Duke of Gascony
A large sum of gold
Kenilworth Castle
The Archbishopric of Canterbury
How did Simon deal with Gascon rebels?
He pardoned them
He ignored them
He launched a harsh crackdown, even cutting their vines
He bribed them with land
What effect did Henry’s favoritism toward the Lusignans (his half-brothers) have?
It strengthened England’s economy
It alienated English lords
It won him support from France
It restored order in Gascony
Where was Simon de Montfort’s trial held?
Tower of London
Kenilworth Castle
Westminster Abbey, in the monk’s dining hall
Canterbury Cathedral
What criticism did Simon make of Henry during his trial?
That Henry was too generous
That Henry repeated the same mistakes despite admitting them
That Henry broke his marriage vows
That Henry was secretly aiding the French
What extraordinary order did Henry give under the royal seal in 1256?
That Magna Carta was revoked
That the Lusignans could not be prosecuted
That Simon de Montfort was exiled again
That the Pope controlled English taxation
What radical idea did Henry pursue instead of fixing his problems at home?
Reforming Parliament
Invading Sicily
Conquering Scotland
Launching another crusade
What did the barons demand at Westminster Hall?
New taxes on trade
The Lusignans be expelled and a permanent baronial council established
A new alliance with France
The Pope crown Simon de Montfort king
What was the gathering at Oxford in 1258 later called?
The Council of Barons
The Great Council of Lords
The Mad Parliament
The Royal Assembly
What document came out of the Mad Parliament of Oxford?
The Treaty of Oxford
The Provisions of Oxford
Magna Carta II
The Oxford Statutes
What did the Provisions of Oxford establish?
A new tax system
A council of 15 barons to oversee the king
The Pope’s control over England
The Lusignans’ permanent exile
Why did Henry agree to the Provisions of Oxford?
He wanted peace with Simon
He was threatened with civil war
He planned to ignore them later
He sought papal approval
What did the Provisions of Oxford introduce for the first time in English history?
Trial by jury
Regular parliaments
Taxation without royal approval
Nobles elected as kings
How often were parliaments to meet under the Provisions of Oxford?
Twice a year
Once a year
Every three years
Every month
What was revolutionary about the Provisions of Oxford?
They gave power to the Pope
They made the king subordinate to a council
They declared Simon king of England
They abolished the monarchy
How did Simon de Montfort become the leader of the reform movement?
He was appointed by the Pope
He was elected by the barons
He emerged as the most capable and ruthless among them
Henry personally chose him
What did Simon and the barons accuse the Lusignans of at Winchester?
Treason
Tax evasion
Spying for France
Desertion at Poitou
What happened to the Lusignans after Winchester?
They were executed
They fled England
They were imprisoned in the Tower
They reconciled with Simon
How did Henry try to undo the Provisions of Oxford?
By bribing the barons
By appealing to the Pope
By marrying into French royalty
By raising a mercenary army
What did the Pope’s annulment of the Provisions of Oxford mean?
Henry could rule without the council
The Lusignans regained power
Magna Carta was abolished
Parliament was permanently canceled
What triggered the Second Barons’ War?
The death of Simon de Montfort
The annulment of the Provisions of Oxford
Henry’s second invasion of France
Edward’s rebellion against his father
At which battle in 1264 did Simon de Montfort capture King Henry and Prince Edward?
Battle of Lewes
Battle of Evesham
Battle of Poitiers
Battle of Hastings
What did Simon do after capturing the king and prince?
He executed them
He exiled them
He ruled in their name
He crowned himself king
What was the most revolutionary act Simon de Montfort did in 1265?
He abolished the monarchy
He summoned the first representative parliament
He crowned himself “People’s King”
He created a new Magna Carta
Who was included in Simon’s 1265 Parliament that had never been represented before?
Bishops
Knights and burgesses (townsmen)
Foreign nobles
The Pope’s legates
Why is Simon de Montfort sometimes called the “Father of Parliament”?
He created Magna Carta
He first included commoners in government
He defeated Henry at Lewes
He ended feudalism
How did Prince Edward escape captivity in 1265?
He bribed his guards
He escaped while horse racing
Simon released him by mistake
The Pope ordered his release
What decisive battle ended Simon de Montfort’s rule in 1265?
Battle of Lewes
Battle of Evesham
Battle of Bosworth
Battle of Northampton
What happened to Simon de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham?
He was captured and imprisoned
He was killed and his body mutilated
He fled to France
He was ransomed by the Pope
What did Prince Edward do after winning at Evesham?
Restored the Lusignans to power
Released his father Henry III
Declared himself king
Abolished Parliament
How did King Henry III rule after being restored?
More cautiously, avoiding new wars
More aggressively, invading France again
Harshly, punishing all barons
With Simon’s reforms intact
What long-term result came from Simon de Montfort’s rebellion?
The monarchy was permanently weakened
The Lusignans regained full control
Magna Carta was abolished
Parliament was destroyed forever
Who succeeded Henry III after his death in 1272?
Simon de Montfort’s son
Richard, Duke of Cornwall
Prince Edward (later Edward I)
William de Valence
What was Edward I’s approach as king?
To ignore Parliament
To strengthen Parliament and the monarchy
To abandon Magna Carta
To rule through foreign nobles
Why is Simon de Montfort remembered in English history?
As a traitor to the crown
As the founder of Parliament
As the last foreign noble in power
As Henry III’s most loyal supporter
What years did the Middle Ages span?
1st–5th century
5th–15th century
10th–18th century
15th–20th century
What are the three divisions of the Middle Ages?
Early, Middle, and Late Antiquity
Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance
Early, High, and Late Middle Ages
Greek, Roman, and Christian
Which period does this lesson focus on?
Early Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
Renaissance
When did the High Middle Ages occur?
8th–10th centuries
11th–13th centuries
14th–15th centuries
16th–17th centuries
What caused a rapid increase in crop production during the High Middle Ages?
Climate change
New technology
Slavery
Roman influence
What were the military campaigns to reclaim the Holy Land called?
Crusades
Reconquista
Missions
Expeditions
What does “classical knowledge” usually refer to?
Medieval poets
Viking sagas
Ancient Greeks like Aristotle
Egyptian pharaohs
Which subjects did the ancient Greeks focus on?
Medicine and law
Astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy
Warfare and agriculture
Engineering and architecture
What did the Romans mainly write about?
Astronomy and geometry
Literature, history, and politics
Music and art
Agriculture and trade
What material was parchment made from?
Wood pulp
Cotton
Stretched animal skin
Silk
Who first developed paper in the 8th century?
Greeks
Arabs
Asians
Europeans
Who preserved most books and manuscripts in Western Europe before the 11th century?
Knights
Merchants
The Church
Nobles
What did people who could read and write outside the Church usually produce?
Legal codes
Poetry and romance stories
Scientific treatises
Translations of Aristotle
Where were classical manuscripts rediscovered during the Crusades?
Rome and Paris
Armenia, Constantinople, Syria, Alexandria
London and Oxford
Venice and Florence
Into which language were many Greek manuscripts translated?
French
Latin
German
Arabic
Who were in high demand as literacy grew in Europe?
Knights and soldiers
Clerics and scribes
Farmers and peasants
Merchants and artisans
What made town schools of the 12th century different from monastic education?
They taught only Latin
They encouraged discussion and exchange of ideas
They focused only on copying
They excluded children
What main problem did medieval thinkers struggle with?
Balancing reason and faith
Rebuilding the Roman Empire
Studying medicine without surgery
Reconciling Islam with Christianity
Which philosopher did Thomas Aquinas try to merge with Christian teaching?
Plato
Aristotle
Socrates
Cicero
What religion dominated Western Europe in the Middle Ages?
Islam
Protestantism
Catholicism
Judaism
Why did the Church’s power start to decline during the High Middle Ages?
Decrease in clergy
Rising literacy and wider access to texts
Failure of the Crusades
Nobles stopped supporting it
What new religious groups formed to live in poverty and preach in the streets?
Jesuits
Mendicant orders
Crusaders
Monastic knights
What were heretics?
People who rejected Christianity entirely
People whose beliefs conflicted with Church doctrine
Priests who lived in poverty
Crusaders who failed
After the Investiture Controversy, which two families became powerful in Germany?
Welfs and Hohenstaufens
Capetians and Plantagenets
Valois and Bourbons
Venetians and Lombards
Who was the first Hohenstaufen king of Germany?
Frederick I
Conrad III
Henry V
Otto of Brunswick
Which ruler tried to increase German royal power and urban growth in the mid-12th century?
Conrad III
Frederick I (Barbarossa)
Philip of Swabia
Otto IV
Who was one of the most powerful rulers of the High Middle Ages, crowned in 1212?
Otto of Brunswick
Frederick II
Henry VI
Conrad III
What promise did Frederick II break with the Pope?
To marry a French princess
To separate Sicily from the empire
To reduce taxes on nobles
To give up papal lands
Why was Frederick II excommunicated?
He abandoned the Fifth Crusade
He attacked Rome directly
He crowned himself Pope
He rejected Catholicism
How did Frederick II promote economic growth?
Conquered new lands
Encouraged trade and commerce
Reduced taxes
Built castles
What was Frederick II’s constant struggle throughout his reign?
Viking invasions
Conflict with the Pope and internal revolts
Muslim control of Sicily
Mongol invasions
What system weakened the Byzantine Empire’s tax base and military?
Monasticism
Serfdom
Feudalism in the West
Mercantilism
Which 1071 battle devastated the Byzantine Empire?
Battle of Tours
Battle of Hastings
Battle of Manzikert
Battle of Constantinople
What happened to Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade?
It was defended successfully
It was sacked by crusaders
It was captured by Turks
It was abandoned
What tragic event involved thousands of children sold into slavery?
Children’s Crusade
Fifth Crusade
Fourth Lateran Council
Council of Constance
Which council redirected crusading efforts toward Egypt?
Council of Clermont
Fourth Lateran Council
Council of Trent
First Lateran Council
How did Frederick II achieve temporary control of Jerusalem during the Sixth Crusade?
He conquered it by force
He bought it from the Muslims
He negotiated through diplomacy
He allied with Venice
By what year was Jerusalem back under Muslim control after Frederick II’s efforts?
1220
1235
1244
1250
What was the outcome of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Crusades?
They expanded Christian control of the Holy Land
They were unmitigated failures
They created lasting peace in the Mediterranean
They restored Byzantine power
Who led the Seventh and Eighth Crusades?
Richard the Lionheart
Frederick II
Louis IX of France
Pope Urban II
What major change happened in Europe between 1050 and 1300?
The Hundred Years’ War
The Agricultural Revolution
The Protestant Reformation
The Crusader States were founded
What was one result of Europe’s agricultural revolution?
Crop yields tripled
Population declined
Cities disappeared
Lifespans shortened
By how much did the average European lifespan increase during this time?
About 5 years
About 10 years
About 20 years
About 30 years
What reemerged in Europe during this period of agricultural growth?
Viking raids
Towns and cities
Feudal decline
Roman legions
What major cultural movement was sparked by Europe’s agricultural surpluses?
The Scientific Revolution
The Renaissance
The Enlightenment
The Protestant Reformation
Which factor did NOT contribute to the medieval agricultural revolution?
A warmer climate
End of Viking raids
Agricultural technology
Discovery of the New World
What was the “Medieval Warm Period”?
A 300-year period of warmer, drier weather in Europe
A volcanic eruption that cooled Europe
A drought in the Mediterranean only
A military alliance of northern kingdoms
How did the Medieval Warm Period affect farming?
Mediterranean farms outproduced the north
Northern European farms became more productive
Farming collapsed across Europe
The Sahara Desert became farmland
What helped bring stability to Europe along with the warmer climate?
Centralized governments growing stronger
Renewed Roman power
More Viking invasions
Increased feudal warfare
What happened to forests in Northern Europe during the agricultural revolution?
They expanded into farmland
They retreated as farmland spread
They became royal hunting grounds only
They were preserved for religious purposes
Which agricultural technologies transformed Northern European farming?
Irrigation canals and aqueducts
Heavy plow, harrow, hoe, horse collar, tandem harness, horseshoes, and three-field rotation
Windmills and terracing
Water wheels and aqueducts
What problem did the heavy plow solve?
Farming in rocky mountain soil
Plowing deep, wet, rich soils of Northern Europe
Protecting crops from drought
Preventing soil erosion in the Mediterranean
What was the function of the harrow?
To plant seeds automatically
To level furrows and bury seeds
To harvest wheat
To fertilize fields
Why was the hoe important?
It dug irrigation canals
It harvested beans
It helped control weeds
It replaced the plow
Why were oxen poorly suited for pulling heavy plows compared to horses?
They were too fragile
They were too expensive to feed
They were slow, heavy, and hard to turn
They could not be yoked
What was the purpose of the horse collar?
To make horses run faster
To prevent horses from choking while pulling heavy loads
To train horses for battle
To display noble rank
What was the biggest drawback of using horses instead of oxen?
Horses tired more quickly
Horses were too aggressive
Horses required expensive diets of oats
Horses were too weak
How did the three-field system improve on the old two-field system?
It used irrigation instead of plowing
It let farmers cultivate two-thirds of their land instead of half
It eliminated the need for crop rotation
It replaced wheat with oats entirely
How did the three-field system affect life expectancy?
Life expectancy declined
Life expectancy stayed the same
Life expectancy rose from 30 to about 50 years
Life expectancy reached 70 years
What do some historians debate about feudalism?
Whether it was a stabilizing force or a system of oppression
Whether it caused the fall of Rome
Whether it was invented in the Renaissance
Whether it replaced the Crusades
What was the core principle of feudalism?
Power based on wealth
Power based on land ownership
Power based on the Church
Power based on military conquest only
What was a vassal in the feudal system?
A traveling merchant
A peasant laborer
A noble granted land in return for allegiance
A knight without land
What term was used for peasants bound to the land under feudalism?
Yeomen
Serfs
Vassals
Villeins
What made the medieval manor largely self-sufficient?
Trade with the Byzantine Empire
Its ability to produce everything needed for daily life
Imported goods from Africa
A reliance on Viking merchants
What long-term development did the specialization of roles in manors lead to?
Collapse of feudalism
Birth of tradesmen and the middle class
Decline of agriculture
Growth of absolute monarchy
What does the word “Renaissance” literally mean?
Rebirth
Glory
Enlightenment
Golden Age
What is the difference between Roman and Romanesque styles?
Roman = ancient empire, Romanesque = medieval revival
Romanesque = Greek influence, Roman = Christian
Romanesque = Gothic, Roman = feudal
Roman = dark ages, Romanesque = Renaissance
Why did Renaissance writers call Gothic architecture “Gothic”?
They admired its sophistication
It was named after the Goths who sacked Rome
It was influenced by Germanic tribes only
It resembled Greek temples
What improvement did the Gothic arch make over the Romanesque arch?
It was cheaper to build
It redirected weight more efficiently
It required no stone
It was smaller and simpler
What Roman building layout was borrowed for Romanesque and Gothic churches?
The forum
The basilica
The colosseum
The aqueduct
How did Romans construct walls quickly and cheaply?
By using only wood
By using concrete cores with stone veneers
By stacking clay bricks
By quarrying marble
What was the dominant feature of classical art?
Abstract symbols
Life-like sculpture
Painted manuscripts
Small decorative jewelry
