| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Charles IV | As a Czech who grew up in France, he was able to make Progue a multi-cultural city when he returned there to rule. He founded a university modeled after the University of Paris and was a leader in cultural rebirth. He also helped take apart the Holy Roman Empire and issued the Golden Bull regarding how it should be governed. In the 100 Years War, he fought successfully against France, in addition to being the rightful heir to the French throne. |
| dynastic rivalry | The families of Europe spent a lot of time and money fighting, often because of chivalry. In order to gain honor and glory, families fought each other for land and royal power. They sometimes fought within countries, such as in the War of the Roses, when the York family fought the Lancaster family for inheritance of the crown. These families had personal armies as a result of the Hundred Years War, and fought until Henry VII Tudor, on the Lancaster side, defeated the Yorks and became King of England. |
| Battle of Orleans | The city of Orleans was under siege by the English when Joan of Arc had her religious revelation. The English and Burgundians already controlled the north, including Paris, and Orleans was the key to conquering the south. Because of Joan de Arc, an extra army was sent to help the city, and the English were defeated. After this battle, the English lost battles almost continuously until the 100 Years War was finally over. |
| Bocaccio | Wrote The Decamaron during the time of the plague, in which he said that people had many strategies to avoid the plague, and "Of the people who held these various opinions, not all of them died. Nor, however, did they all survive." He also described how people, out of fear, would not even help family members who were ill. |
| Ramifications of the plague | Jews were killed and blamed as scapegoats. Also, there were "aftershocks" almost every generation that killed people until 1771. Afterwards, surviving land owners had a great deal more money and land than before, and peasants were in greater demand. Tightening laws, however, brought social mobility to a standstill, which was very bad for peasants. Because there was less economic activity than before (because there were less people) larger taxes were imposed on those few left. There were violent uprisings in France, because between monarchs and land-owners, peasants were way over-taxed. |
| The Jacquerie(1358) | In order to ransom John II from the English, a new tax was implemented, just as rents and demands were raised by nobility. This set off an uprising by the peasants, who didn't want to lose the modest wealth they had accumulated in the last ten years. They brutally killed all the clergy and nobility they could find, and though disorganized, they were successful. They united to march south toward Paris. In the end, though, the peasants were defeated by a professional Parisian army at Meaux. |
| Conciliarism | Some Cardinals tried to work together to end the Great Schism. They wanted to end the chaos, as everyone was exasperated with the popes. A problem-solving council of cardinals was opposed by both popes, because it would show that God's authority did not rest solely in the pope's hands. |
| Martin V | Not aligned with the Pisan, Avignon or Roman popes, he was elected by the Council of Constance as the Pope to end the Great Schism. |
| John Wycliffe | As a member of the ecclesiastical courts, he was unprotected when he defied the church. He attacked the doctrine and politics of the church, and taught that sacriments were only as valuable as the priest administering them was worthy. Also, he said that if individuals (including popes and priests) sin, they forfeit the right to exercise authority. He said that the Eucharist was Christ only in spirit (not physically his body) and indulgences were meaningless. He said that salvation was predetermined. Because he attacked the Church's right to wealth, he was protected from being burnt at the stake. |
| Chaucer | In England, he was a courtier, who traveled and mastered philosophy and literature. He wrote from the perspective of various pilgrims to a tomb, and uses them as individuals representing many different walks of life. He thus subtly commented on cultural, religious and literary traditions. |
| Laura Cereta | A radical feminist in her time (1469-1499) who had enough education to write about her ideas. She was Italian, and like Christine de Pisan, she furthered her education after her husband died and began publishing writing. Neither women nor men supported her, so she stopped writing after her father died. She did, however, help pave the way for other educated women. |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace