| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Temperate | Mild; moderate in temperature |
| Deforestation | The process of clearing the land of forests, often to make land for farms and cities |
| Navigable | Able to be traveled by boats or ships |
| Eurasia | A large landmass that includes the continents of Europe and Asia |
| North Sea | A large arm of the Alantic Ocean, between Great Britain and continental Europe |
| North European Plain | A large, fertile area that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains |
| Seine River | A river that flows from Eastern France northward into the English Channel |
| Middle Ages | A period in European history between A.D. 500 to about the 1500s |
| Manor | In the Middle Ages, a large self-sufficent estate granted to a lord and worked by serfs |
| Serf | In the Middle Ages, a person who was bound to work on a noble's manor |
| Feudalism | Starting in Europe around A.D. 800, a system for organizing and governing society, based on land and service |
| Lord | In the Middle Ages, a noble who owned and controlled all activities on his manor |
| Vassal | In the Middle Ages, a noble who was usually given a fief by his lord in exchange for loyalty |
| Fief | In the Middle Ages, a property given to a vassal in exchange for his loyalty |
| Guild | In the Middle Ages, an organization of workers in a trade or craft that set standards and protected the interests of its members |
| Magna Carta | A legal document written by English lords in 1215 that started certain rights and limited power of the king |
| Charlemagne | King of the Franks from 768 to 814, and emperor of Rome from 800 to 814 |
| William the Conqueror | Norman king; in 1066 he deafeated Harold, the Anglo Saxon king, to become the first Norman king of England |
| King John 1 | King of England from A.D. 1199 to 1216; in 1215 he signed the Magna Carta, giving more rights to British nobles. |
| Aachen | Capital of Charlemagne’s empire, c. 800; a city in present-day Germany |
| Normandy | A region in northwestern France on the English Channel |
| England | The continent north of Africa between Asia and the Atlantic Ocean |
| Point of View | The position of someone toward the world or a subject, shaped by his or her thinking, attitudes and feelings |
| Monastery | A community in which monks lead lives devoted to religion |
| Nun | A woman who devotes her life to religion, often living in a convent |
| Convent | A religious community in chich woman, or nuns, live and pray |
| Cathedral | A large or important Christian church |
| Saint | A woman or man considered by a religious group to be especially holy |
| Crusade | Any of the journeys and battles undertaken by European Christians between 1095 and 1270, to win control of the Holy Land from the Muslims |
| Plague | A terrible disease that spreads quickly and kills many people |
| Benedict | Italian monk; founder of the Benedictine order |
| Fransis of Assisi | Italian monk who founded the Franciscan order, he devoted his life to serving the poor and the sick |
| Pope Urban 2 | Pope who called the First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims |
| Chartres | A city in northwestern France, noted for it's cathedral |
| Renaissance | A period of great cultural and artistic change that began in Italy around 1350 and spread throughout Europe |
| Humanism | An idea important to the Renaissance that focused on human values and what people can achieve in this world |
| Lorenzo Medici | Ruler of Florence during the Renaissance and patron of artists such as Michelangelo |
| Petrarch | Italian Renaissance poet and humanist |
| Michelangelo | Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architecture, and poet |
| Patron | A supporter of the arts |
| Leonardo Da Vinci | Italian Renaissance artist, inventor, and scientist |
| Nicolaus Copernicus | Polish astronomer; in 1514 he discovered that Earth and other planets revolve around the sun |
| Florence | A city in present-day Italy; one of the great centers of Renaissance art |
| Indulgance | A pardon or forgiveness given by the Roman Catholic Church to people who act against Christian teachings |
| Reform | To change |
| Reformation | A movement beginning in Europe in the 1500s to bring reform to the Roman Catholic Church, and leading to Protestantism |
| Protestantism | The beliefs of Christians who opposed or protested against the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s; the beliefs of people who follow a Protestant religion today |
| Armada | A fleet of warships |
| Erasmus | Dutch writer and humanist; he favored reform of the Catholic Church but came to oppose the Protestant Reformation |
| Martin Luther | German monk and leader of the Protestant Reformation |
| Johannes Gutenburg | German printer, in 1448 he invented a printing press that used moveable type |
| King Henry | King of England from 1509 to 1547 and founder of the Church of England; he broke with the Catholic Church because the pope would not grant him a divorce |
| Queen Elizabeth | Queen of England from 1558 to 1603; the English Renaissance flourished during her reign |
| William Shakespeare | English dramatist and poet; considered one of the greatest writers in the English Language |
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