Terms and Names
William the Conqueror                  three-field system       Magna Carta       University of Bologna
St. Thomas Aquinas                      Pope Gregory VII      Textile industry    Humanism
Estates General                             Saint Joan of Arc        Black Death        Investiture controversy
Romanesque/Gothic Architecture  Charlemagne              Feudalism            Manorialism
Decameron                                   Ivan III (the Great)     Max Weber        Vasselage
Calvinism                                      Columbian Exchange  Indulgences         Book of Common Prayer
Great Schism                                Protestant Reformation Martin Luther     Erasmus
Machiavelli                                   Leonardo da Vinci       Michelangelo      de Medici family
Catholic Reformation                    Italian Renaissance      Thomas More     Johann Gutenberg

Possible Essay Questions
1. What led to the revival of trade and the growth of towns in twelfth-century Europe?  How did this new birth of towns (and later, cities) reshape medieval society and prepare the way for the Renaissance?

2. What was meant by the term "humanism" during the Renaissance?  How was this "new" Renaissance thought different from that of the Middle Ages and in what ways did the Renaissance owe its existence to medieval civilization?

3. Although it may sometimes be hard to recognize, the world we live in today (yes, even here in Lynchburg) was greatly shaped by our predecessors, from ancient times through the Reformation.  In your opinion, which group or event played the largest role in shaping the way in which we live today?  (You might want to consider the Classical Era of Greece, Rome (Republic and/or Empire), the Judeo-Christian religious beliefs, the Renaissance, and the Reformation).  Whichever you choose—and there is no wrong or right answer necessarily—you must be prepared to support your argument with evidence.

4. Agree or disagree:  “Without the Renaissance, the Reformation would never have occurred.”  Support your answer.

5. The High Middle Ages is often viewed as a time of great optimism in Europe.  What factors led Europeans of this time to be optimistic?  How did they express this optimism?  What brought it to an end?

6. Some historians argue that the “modern” world (in terms of how people think) began during High Middle Ages, others claim that it did not begin until the Renaissance.  Which argument do you support?  Why?
 
Note:  All the essays on the final exam will come from this study guide.  However, multiple choice questions on the final exam will be drawn from previous study guides (essay topics as well as terms and names) and the material on this study guide.  The test breakdown will be:  about 60% on the material covered since the last test and 40% cumulative (roughly).